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1 


MEMORY TALKS 
on Spiritual Power 

OR 

The Holy Spirit 
and the Church 


BY 

R. A. HUTCHISON 



Fleming H. Revell Company 
Chicago : : New York : : Toronto 


Publishers of Evangelical Literature 


Copyrighted by Fleming H. Resell Company 


O COPi' j ^C^IVEO. 





PREFACE. 


The object in sending forth this volume is to 
do good. The author has been benefited by- 
writing it, and his earnest prayer is that those who 
read may share in the profit. The theme is 
“ Spiritual Power.” The book has been ar- 
ranged in a series of Talks on the theme. The 
matter of these talks, both in the general plan 
and the individual chapters, is expressed with 
a view to aid the mind in retaining. Hence the 
title — “ Memory Talks on Spiritual Power. ” 

No apology need be given for the use of the 
acrostic and alliterative method of outline. It 
will be understood that the object is to classify 
the teaching on the subject, to aid the memory. 
The method is used with reverence; with re- 
gard to the dignity of the theme. Where truth 
has been omitted or irrelevant matter introduced, 
it has not been to accommodate the outline. Yet 
it can hardly be expected that a method of this 
kind will in every case conform to the rules of 
logic or homiletics. Beneath the memory ar- 
rangement is an outline answering to the ques- 
tions, “Who, What, How, Why and Whither.” 

Let it be noted that the second general head, 


Preface 


“ Power and Precept,” is not designed to con- 
tinue the Holy- Spirit thought so much as to 
set forth the basic elements and the important 
related doctrines. 

In these remarks the author wishes to ac- 
knowledge gratefully the help received from 
other sources. Especially does he wish to men- 
tion Evangelist H. H. Bell, of San Fran- 
cisco, Cal., who rendered valuable assistance in 
kindly and carefully reviewing the manuscript 
for publication. 

In committing this volume to the public there 
is no little hesitancy because of its many imper- 
fections; but there is the earnest desire that 
it may be used by Him whom it is designed to 
honor, in leading some to the true source of 
power. 

B. A. Hutchison. 
Altoona. Pa., Feb. 1, 1899. 


CONTENTS. 

PART I. 


POWER AND PROMISE. 


I. 

Pebsons Entitled to Poweb 

- 

* 

13 


Preachers 


_ 

. 

_ 


14 


Officers 

- 

- 

. 

. 

* 

16 


Workers 


- 

_ 

- 

. 

18 


Educators 

- 

- 

- 

- 

> 

21 


Reformers - 


- 

- 

- 

- 

23 

II. 

Obigin of Poweb Negatively 

CONSIDEBED 

27 


Physical 


- 

- 

- 

- 

27 


Organization 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

30 


Wealth 


- 

- 

- 

- 

33 


Education 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

37 


Reputation - 


- 

- 

- 

- 

40 

III. 

Wobkings OF 

Poweb 

- 

- 

- 

44 


Planning 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

46 


Operating - 


- 

- 

- 

- 

50 


Watching 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

61 


Enlightening 


- 

- 

- 

- 

65 


Rewarding 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

70 

IV. 

Enunciation < 

OF 

Poweb 

BY PBOMISE 

- 

77 


Pertinent 


- 

- 

- 

- 

78 


Official - 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

80 


Wise 


- 

- 

- 

- 

83 


Extraordinary 


- 

- 

- 

- 

86 


Reliable 


- 

- 

- 

- 

91 

V. 

Reception of 

Poweb - 

- 

- 

- 

94 


Prayer 


- 

- 

- 

- 

94 


Obedience 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

97 


Waiting 


- 

- 

- 

- 

105 


Expecting 


- 

- 


- 

109 


Receiving - 


- 

- 


- 

114 


5 


Contents 


PART II. 


POWER AND PRECEPT. 


FUNDAMENTAL CONDITIONS TO SPIRITUAL POWER. 


YI. Faith - 
Nature of 
Necessity of 
Note or Sign of 

VII. Repentance 
Nature of 
Necessity of 
Note or Sign of 

VIII. Humility - 
Nature of 
Necessity of 
Nutriment of - 


123 

126 

183 

139 

115 

145 

152 

158 

167 

163 

172 

176 


PART III. 

POWER AND PROPHECY. 

IX. Power and Its Predicted Product - 185 

Prophecy - 185 

Primary application — Israel - - 186 

Prophetic significance — Church of Christ 
and Holy Spirit - 187 

Operations of Spirit ... 188 

Manner ----- 192 

Means ----- 188 

Work or Results of Spirit - - - 193 

Beauty ----- 194. 

Strength ----- 201 

Exhibition of Beauty and Strength - 195 

Inward Purity and Peace - - 197 

Outward Consistency and Activity 195 

Roots of - - - - 201 

Faith ----- 202 

Love ----- 202 

Hope - 203 


6 


MEMORY TALKS ON SPIRITUAL 
POWER 


OR 


The Holy Spirit and the Church. 


WORD OUTLINE. 

PART I. 

POWER AND PROMISE. 

Ye shall receive power. — Acts i:8. 


Preachers. 

Officers. 


Persons — Who? “ Ye” •< Workers. 


Educators. 

Reformers. 


Origin? 


' Physical. 

1. As to origin of Organization. 


the Power. < Wealth. 
Not Education. 


What? I 


Reputation. 


'Planning. 

Operating. 


Workings? (^2. 


!. As to workings. Watching. 

Enlightening. 

Rewarding. 


Enunciation? f 


1. Godward 
by Prone 



j Official. 
Kindx Wise. 


f Pertinent. 


Extraordinary. 

Reliable. 


How?* 


Reception ? 


'Prayer. 

2. Manward side Obedience, 
on what Con- Waiting, 
ditions. Expecting. 

Receiving. 


7 


Outline 


PART II. 

POWER AND PRECEPT. 

OR 

Fundamental Conditions to Spiritual Power. 


Repent ye, and 
believe the gos- 
pel. Mark 1:15. 


Why? 

Be clothed with 
humility; humble 
yourselves. 

1 Pet. 5:5-6. 


1. Faith. 

Jno. 7:38. 


1. Nature of. 

2. Necessity of. 

3. Note of. 


2. Repentance. 
Acts 2:28, 3:19. 


1. Nature of. 

2. Necessity of. 

3. Note of. 


f 1. Nature of. 

3. Humility. ■< 2. Necessity of. 

^3. Nutriment of. 


PART III. 

POWER AND PROPHECY 

OR 

Power and its Predicted Product. 

“ I will be as the dew unto Israel ; he shall grow as the lily, and 
cast forth his roots as Lebanon.” — Hos. 14:5. 

f 1. Primary application — Israel. 
Prophecy. 2. Prophetic significance — Church of 

Christ, and Holy Spirit. 


Operations. 


Work. 


Exhibition. 


Roots. 


T. As to manner — Silently, gradually. 

f 1. Word of God. 

2. As to means. 


2. Providen 
ces. 


\z- 


f Afflic- 
i tion. 

] Perse- 
cution. 

Beauty — “ Grow as the lily.” 

Strength — “ Cast forth roots as Leb- 
anon.” 

Inward purity and peace. 

Outward consistency and activity. 

Faith. 

Love. 

Hope. 


8 


INTRODUCTION 


I have read carefully the manuscript of these 
Memory Talks on the Holy Spirit, and gladly 
avail myself of the privilege of writing an intro- 
duction to their publication. 

This is the dispensation of the Holy Ghost, 
and He is nearer to us than the very atmos- 
phere we breathe. We need only to fulfil the 
conditions to have Him fill us to overflowing; 
and a Spirifcfilled* life is a life of power. 

He waits to reveal Christ to us, and Christ is 
the power of God. He stands ready to make 
plain our inheritance to us, and we may claim it 
all and use it all by a simple act of faith and 
appropriation. May this book be a blessing to 
very many. 

J. Wilbur Chapman, D. D. 

Pastor of Bethany Presbyterian Church. 

Philadelphia. 


9 



PART I. 


Power and Promise. 

Ye shall receive power. Acts i: 8. 



































• * • « I 



































MEMORY TALKS ON SPIRITUAL 
POWER. 


I. 

PERSONS TO WHOM POWER IS 
PROMISED. 


“ Ye shall receive power” — Acts i.8. 

Recently the inhabitants of a northern city 
were moved with joy over the great achievement 
of electrical science which brought the machin- 
ery of their city into touch with the almost un- 
limited power of famous Niagara Falls. But 
this promise brings us a power which exceeds 
that of the wonderful cataract. A greater than 
Niagara is here. With unspeakable joy we 
hear Him say, “Ye shall receive power.” 
This is a vital part of that blessed heritage our 
Lord bestows on His followers. To this fact 
nineteen centuries bear testimony, “our en- 
emies themselves being judges.” Those who 
“turn the world upside down” have troubled 
not only the ancients, but later, for the same 
reason, Rome trembled before Luther, and 
Queen Mary dreaded the army of the nation 
less than the fearless Knox. 

The uppermost thought of the early disciples 
was temporal kingdom. “ Wilt Thou at this 
13 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

time restore again the kingdom,” earthly rale, 
material power, “ to Israel? ” Their Lord has 
something better in store. “ It is not for you 
to know the times or the seasons,” but, “Ye 
shall receive power.” Not yonr nation as such, 
but Ye. Ye who have followed Me, the de- 
spised Nazarite. Ye who have been despised 
for My sake. Ye who have forsaken your old 
associations, and worldly interests, and have 
undertaken the great, the arduous work of ex- 
tending My kingdom. 

Do we ask, “Who shall receive power?” 
There is but one answer. “ Ye,” My followers. 
To be more specific in this answer to find the 
length and breadth, the height and depth of 
this little pronoun we may classify the follow- 
ers of Christ into five groups, using the suc- 
cessive letters of our key-word power to intro- 
duce them. Who shall receive power? “ Ye,” 

PREACHERS OF THE GOSPEL. 

“ Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature.” “Ye shall receive 
power.” The precept, “ Go ye,” and the prom- 
ise, “Ye shall receive,” come from the same 
source and are directed to the same persons. 
Preachers, pastors, and evangelists have great 
need of power, and need of great power. Their 
work is great in importance; great in variety. 
u 


Power and Promise 


Peter, himself a preacher as well as an eye-wit- 
ness of the sufferings of Christ, in writing to the 
Christians of Asia mentions three important 
duties of the preacher. 1. Pet. 5: 1-8. 1. His 

duty is to “feed the flock of God.” 2. His 
duty is to rule, — “ oversight ” of — the flock. 3. 
His duty is to be an “ ensample ” to the flock. 
He is preacher, ruler, pattern. The first is his 
distinctive work. The second he shares with 
all church rulers. The third duty is common to 
all the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. 

These are great in importance, too, because of 
the variety of duties involved in each. To 
“feed the flock of God” is to preach the gospel 
not only to the people of God, but to “ every crea- 
ture.” It is to “ Preach the Word.” Or as the 
apostle specifies, (Col. 1:28) as to matter, 
“whom (Christ) we preach”; as to the manner, 
“ warning every man and teaching every man in 
all wisdom”; as to the motive, “that we may 
present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” 
To have the “ oversight ” in the true sense is to 
“rule well,” to be a “faithful and wise stew- 
ard” — prudent, prompt, persevering. Our 
Lord Himself (Matt. 5:16) states what is in- 
volved in being an “ensample.” “Ye are the 
light of the world.” “ Let your light so shine 
before men that they may see your good works 
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” 

15 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

This teaches (1) the manner of the exemplary 
life, “so shine that men may see”; (2) matter, 
“good works;” (3) motive, “glorify your Father 
which is in heaven;” still further, “Let it 
shine.” Do not hinder it, nor endeavor to make 
it shine, but be Christlike and shine. 

How great then in importance and variety are 
the duties involved in the life and work of a 
preacher! How much he needs the power to 
which this promise entitles him. In connection 
with those who labor in “ word and doctrine ” 
are others charged with the official manage- 
ment of the church. These are designated as 

OFFICERS. 

“Ye shall receive power.” To preach the 
gospel to every creature? Yes, and more, even 
to “rule well.” The Ephesian elders are 
informed by the apostle that the Holy Ghost 
has made them “overseers” of the flock. 
And as we shall point out further on, this prom- 
ised power can come only by the Holy Ghost. 

By Him they are made overseers. By Him 
only they have power to “ rule well.” Not as 
lords over God’s heritage, but as ensamples to 
the flock. Still earlier in the history of the 
church, officers are mentioned having for their 
special duty the distribution of charities. Acts 
6:1-6. “It is not reason, say the apostles, 
16 


Power and Promise 


“that we should leave the Word of God and 
serve tables.” Hence the seven are chosen. 
The special qualifications of these officers is 
that they possess the power promised in our text. 
They must be men “ full of the Holy Ghost.” 

Apart from the direct testimony of the 
Scripture the very structure of the church 
teaches the necessity of officers. The Christian 
church is not a discordant, incoherent crowd; 
but a welborganized, harmonious body. “ The 
body is one, and hath many members, and all 
the members of that one body, being many, are 
one body.” (1 Cor. 12: 12.) The church of 
Christ is one in faith and baptism and spirit, 
and must be one in rule and regulation, that all 
things may be done “ decently and in order.” 

There may be difference in the name and 
physical form of the government but all the 
members are of one body and blend into com- 
plete harmony in the general government by 
the Head of the body. The church of Christ is 
entitled to this promise whatever the form of 
government. Long ago it was said, “ I will pour 
My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon 
thine offspring; one shall say I am the Lord’s 
and another shall call himself by the name 
of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his 
hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the 
name of Israel.” 


17 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Thus a variety of names and forms, but all 
are recipients of the promised “ spirit ” and 
“ blessing.” Neither is this promise limited to 
denominations, nor to the special work of preach- 
ing the Word. When our Lord says, “Ye shall 
receive power ” He includes not only preachers, 
but all who shall be set apart to “ wait on 
tables,” to take the “ oversight,” to “ rule w r ell,” 
and to be “ensamples” to the flock. “Ye” 
preachers? Yes. “Ye” officers? Yes. 

Is it a light thing to accept office in the 
church of Christ without first seeking and pos- 
sessing the promised power? Is it a small mat- 
ter for a congregation to adopt its own standard 
of selection , and with “ partiality ” prefer one 
before another because of “ influence ” or 
“ wealth,” disregarding the promised powerffit- 
ness? Appropriate is the warning, “Lay 
hands suddenly on no man.” 

There are others included in the word “ Ye.” 
Others who have no official titles. Others 
whose names, even, are not recorded. Others 
whose deeds receive no extended record. But 
enough is implied to convince us that then 
as now there were 


WORKERS 

included in the “ Ye.” 

The writer of the Acts tells us that these all 
18 


Power and Promise 


continued with one accord in prayer and sup- 
plication with the women and Mary the mother 
of Jesus and with His brethren. Here are not 
only His brethren, but also women who then and 
ever since have been faithful workers, loyal to 
the cause of Christ. These are they who early 
in the history of the church made themselves 
conspicious for their service. At the death of 
our Lord, despite the disappointment and dan- 
ger they are both hopeful and helpful. Some 
are helping Nicodemus and Joseph in the bur- 
ial, some are comforting the bereaved mother, 
some are buying spices, and all are willing to 
spend money and time to honor the Master. 

The Christian woman is worthy the tribute 
paid her in that familiar verse, — 

“Not she with traitorous kiss her Master stung; 

Not she denied Him with unfaithful tongue; 

She when apostles fled could dangers brave, 

Last at His cross and earliest at His grave.” 

Those weeping widows at the bedside of Dor- 
cas, those “ coats and garments ” speak with a 
voice that shall sound through the ages. That 
relief sent from Antioch to the needy in Judea 
tells of many “ workers.” The Christian home 
of Aquila and Priscilla entertaining Paul and 
instructing Apollos suggests another class of 
workers. Another illustration is found in the 
four “ bringing one sick of the palsy ” to our 
Lord. We do not read that these four were of- 
19 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

ficially designated for that kind of service. We 
are told that they had faith. Their conduct 
shows they had sympathy, that they were all of 
one mind and purpose. Despite great difficul- 
ties they persevered and succeeded. 

Have we not in these instances illustrations 
of thousands of workers to-day, whose names 
are rarely seen in print and whose voices are 
seldom heard in public? But their lives are 
marked by faithful, loving service, by works of 
necessity and mercy. They are uniting faith 
and prayers and efforts to bring the world, 
stricken with the palsy of sin, to the same great 
Physician to whom the four of old brought the 
palsied one. Did not our Lord include all such 
when He said, “Ye shall receive power”? 
How erroneous is the notion that this prom- 
ised power is solely limited to those officially 
designated as preachers and rulers. “ Ye ” in- 
cludes every follower of Christ. It matters not 
what your work, great or small, nor your posi- 
tion, exalted or humble. Are you an officer or 
teacher in the Sabbath-school, a member of the 
choir, or a leader in the prayer-meeting, a 
mother in the home training your child for 
work in the service of the Master; or are you 
toiling in shop or store earning a livelihood for 
self and family to be spent for the glory of God ? 
The promise is yours. 


20 


Power and Promise 


Then while we have seen that all Christians 
are embraced in the word “ Ye ” yet, to meet the 
much mistaken notion that this promise pertains 
exclusively to church workers, we wish to make 
special mention of two other classes whose 
work is and should be no less Christian than 
that usually designated as church or evangel- 
istic. One of these classes is our 

EDUCATORS. 

“ Teaching them to observe all things what- 
soever I have commanded you.” Matt. 28:20. 
Religious teachers are educators of the highest 
order. Aquila and Priscilla were educators 
expounding the “ way of God more perfectly” 
to Apollos. Acts 18: 26. Every true teacher is 
a teacher of truth. Every department of 
learning has to do- with the “way of God.” 
Milton says, “ The end of learning is to know 
God, and out of that knowledge to love Him 
and imitate Him.” As all roads lead to Rome 
so all truth leads to God. A little learning may 
tend to infidelity, but depths of knowledge lead 
to the source of all wisdom. 

Science and art and literature, however widely 
divorced from the kingdom and work of the 
Master by designing minds, when traced to 
their source are found to be of God. All lan- 
guage is traceable to God’s first linguistic gift 
21 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

to the race. Many maintain that the first writ- 
ten language was that given to Moses on the 
mount. In law also what advance has been 
made over the Mosaic code? Is the oratory, 
or the literature, or the music of the present 
day in any way distinct from, or superior to, 
the Scriptural specimens? Are there any teach- 
ers of morality to-day who reach a higher or 
even so lofty a standard as the Ten Command- 
ments, or the Mountain Sermon, or the Fare- 
well Address? 

And yet is it not true that education is set 
aside as a secular thing? Those specially de- 
signed as educators full oft are not expected to 
seek divine help in their work. Even in Chris- 
tian institutions the tendency is to limit the 
test for instructors to “ brains ” and “ aptness to 
teach.” Why should not the great army of 
educators in this Christian nation be expected 
not only to be moral , but to be disciples of the 
Great Teacher who is truth; even more, to be 
possessors of this promised power? He who 
said, “Go teach,” also said, “Ye shall receive 
power.” What a marvelous change this world 
would experience were our public school, 
academic, collegiate, and university instructors 
Christian men and women possessing this power! 
The promise is “ Ye shall receive power.” “Ye,” 
— preachers of the gospel, “ Ye” — officers of My 
22 


Power and Promise 


church, “Ye ” — workers in My vineyard of every 
kind, including educators. We add also 

REFORMERS. 

Concerning the disciples it was said, “Those 
that turn the world upside down have come 
hither also.” Acts 17: 6. To turn things up- 
side down is the business of reformers. What- 
ever is wrong side up in the church, or home, 
or state must be turned right side up. In the 
strict sense this is the mission of the gospel. 
The gospel is at the foundation of all reforms. 
The conversion of an individual is the complete 
turning about of his life. Reforms are in a 
sense conversions in the aggregate. A reform 
on a certain line is the conversion of the public 
conscience on that particular question. Such 
upheavals in society are not effected by the elo- 
quence, or wit, or irony, or sarcasm of unsanc- 
tified men; but by truth candidly and fearlessly 
proclaimed by men full of Holy Spirit power. 

Many who recognize the necessity of this prom- 
ised power in reaching and rescuing the unsaved 
do not realize the absolute need of it in the war- 
fare against organized evil. In the effort to de- 
stroy the saloon and the gambling den, to contend 
with the social evil, and Sabbath desecration, we 
are prone to rely on physical force; to rely 
on numbers, money, and political help, not 
23 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

conscious of the fact that in this as in evangel- 
istic work the “battle is the Lord’s.” In both, 
the enemy is the same. In the latter his forti- 
fications are a hundredfold stronger. In “ The 
Tongue of Fire,” Mr. Arthur says, “Much as 
Satan glories in his power over an individual, 
how much greater must be his glorying over a 
nation embodying, in its laws and usages, dis- 
obedience to God, wrong to man, contamination 
to morals. To destroy all national holds of evil, 
to root sin out of institutions, to hold up to view 
the gospel idea of a righteous nation, to confront 
all unwholesome public usages with mild, genial, 
and ardent advocacy of what is purer, is one of 
the first duties of those whose position or mode 
of thought gives them influence on general 
questions.” 

All Christians should be reformers. By vir- 
tue of their position and “ mode of thought ” 
some are so in a special sense. Many are so 
known in history. Almost every age has its 
worthy list of mighty men and women desig- 
nated by this term. Their special work has 
been to destroy all national holds of evil, to root 
sin out of institutions, to hold up to view the 
gospel idea of a righteous nation. Where they 
have succeeded it has been by utter dependence 
on this promised power. They have believed 
and realized that, “ The battle is the Lord’s”; 

24 


Power and Promise 


and that, It is nothing for Him to help, 
“ whether with many or with them that have not 
power.” 

To sum up the answer to this question, “ Who 
shall receive power?” we find that the promise is 
to all followers of Christ. To preachers of the 
Word, officers of the church, workers, educators, 
and reformers. All these are embraced in that 
one pronoun “Ye.” How important! How 
wide the range ! Preaching the gospel to every 
creature, ruling well the flock, working for the 
Master in visiting the sick, in leading sinners to 
the great Physician, in educating and reforming 
the masses. “ Who is sufficient for these 
things? Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, 
but our sufficiency is of God.” 2 Cor. 3:5. It 
is not in man to do these things. Paul was not 
alone in realizing this insufficiency. Even 
heathen have confessed the need of some power 
higher than human. Cicero said, “No man 
was ever great without a divine afflatus.” To 
meet this weakness, this insufficiency, our Lord 
has made special provision for His followers. 
Not that they may be “great,” but that they 
may be great servants , He assures them of the 
divine “ afflatus ” in the promise, “ Ye shall 
receive power.” 

Therefore what joy should thrill the soul of 
every Christian at the announcement of this 
25 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

promise! The same Lord who said, “Without 
Me ye can do nothing,” now makes this albsufA- 
cient promise. Shall we not expect power? 
He will give it. According to our work so shall 
he our power. We need not expect pow T er to 
preach, or to be an over-seer of the flock, or to 
be an educator, or to be a reformer, unless the 
Lord calls us to that particular work. The call 
to each includes the promised power for His 
work. The fire engines of the city, the passen- 
ger and freight engines in the yards or on the 
road, and the immense stationary engines in 
shops and factories, all have steam and power, 
but to each according to its capacity and serv- 
ice. Let us rejoice in the fact that our Lord, 
“ whose we are and whom we serve,” has said, 
“Ye shall receive power.” 


26 


II. 

ORIGIN OF POWER. 


“ Ye shall receive power.” — Acts i. 8. 

Having answered the question — “ Who shall 
receive power? ” — our present effort shall be to 
learn something of the origin and nature 
of this power. It is of vital importance 
to know what this power is and whence it 
comes. In our material surrounding we are 
prone to confuse true power with some of the 
most prominent means through which it oper- 
ates. A negative discussion will enable us to 
distinguish between these and the real source 
of power. As in the first chapter, so now, the 
letters of the word power will outline our 
thoughts. And first we note that this power is 
not 

PHYSICAL. 

Stephen possessed this power in a high de- 
gree. Physically he was overcome by the vio- 
lence of men. Had his power been physical, as 
was that of Samson, the enemy could not have 
stood before him. Samson had power to kill 
27 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

the enemies of God; Stephen had power to die 
a witness for the truth at the hand of his en- 
emies. The one slew more at his death than 
during his life; the other by his death revealed 
the way of life to more than he could have 
done by living. 

These few disciples with so many bitter en- 
emies might readily have thought physical 
power the one thing needful. But they came to 
know that it is not by might, nor by force of arms, 
that the Nazarite^follower overcomes. “ Put up 
thy sword into the sheath,” has a signifi- 
cance deeper than mere physical resistance to 
the personal assailants of our Lord in the gar- 
den. We err, as did Peter, when we determine 
to do the Master’s work by physical force and 
mental energy, when like him we try to substi- 
tute outward zeal for lack of inward communion 
with Christ, or when we rely on numbers in our 
churches and societies in winning souls. 

The power of the church is not in numbers. 
Multitudes went out and in at the beautiful 
gate of the temple, but only Peter and John 
had power to heal the “ lame ” man. No num- 
ber of men can furnish power like that promised 
the disciples. At the time of this promise the 
membership of the church was small, but it was 
only a brief period until the number came to be 
about five thousand, and we have the further 
28 


Power and Promise 


testimony that multitudes both of men and wom- 
en were added to the Lord. There is a power 
in numbers, but it is not ilie power. God can 
help, whether with many, or few, or with thorn 
who have no power at all. Even after the 
twenty and two thousand of Gideon’s army had 
turned back nine thousand seven hundred more 
were rejected, but the remaining three hundred 
accomplished the work. 

How faithless it is for members of small 
churches to become dissatisfied because so few 
in number. There was a time when the few 
members of what is to-day one of the largest 
denominations came together for conference. 
They were discouraged and almost ready to dis- 
band when one brother arose and said, “I’m 
nothing, and can do nothing.” A second fol- 
lowed with a similar speech. But a third, look- 
ing beyond himself and mere numbers, arose, 
and pointing to the former speakers said, “ You 
are nothing, and you are nothing, and I feel 
that I am nothing, but God is one. Now let us 
place these three ciphers at His right hand, and 
it will equal a thousand.” The speech had the 
desired effect. Being few and realizing their 
weakness, they relied upon God for strength. 
To-day that denomination is strong in numbers, 
rich in faith and grace, and almost worldwide 
in effort for Christ. 


29 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Sanballat and Tobiah sneered at Nehemiah 
and his few men, saying, “What mean these 
feeble Jews?” But the record is: “So built we 
the wall.” Whatever estimate the world may 
place on numbers, certain it is that the power 
of the Christian church comes from a higher 
source. Why should any Christian, or company 
of Christians, however small, hesitate or doubt? 
The Master says, “Ye (no number specified) 
shall receive power.” Is your society small? 
Are there but few members in your congrega- 
tion? Then hear the promise, “Ye shall re- 
ceive power.” This promised power is not 
physical. It is not the power of numbers. No 
more is it the power of 

ORGANIZATION. 

On that great day of Pentecost when the three 
thousand were converted only a few Chris- 
tians were there. They had no special organ- 
ization. They had no priesthood with its 
courses and its customs. Neither were they 
laboring as an organized body when it is said, 
“ Believers were the more added to the Lord; 
multitudes both of men and women.” They 
were all of one accord in Solomon’s porch, but as 
to organization, they were insignificant as com- 
pared with the council and senate of the chil- 
dren of Israel which sought to defeat their work. 


Power and Promise 


There is power in organization. A scattering, 
rambling mob cannot withstand the onset of a 
well-organized army. At the entrance of a long 
bridge was seen the following notice: “No 
company or organized body of men shall keep 
step while crossing the bridge.” The reason 
was plain. The structure was not strong enough 
to resist the united tread of an organized body. 
Men everywhere recognize the power of 
organization. Ours is a day of organization. 
Laboring men organize. Business and politi- 
cal men organize. The social life is organ- 
ized. And there never was a time when the 
church was more thoroughly organized, than 
at present; yet, this is not the source of her 
power. 

The fact that organization is so needful and 
useful renders it all the more necessary to dis- 
tinguish between it and the true source of power. 
Yet it has nothing more to do with producing 
this promised power, than the wire and trolley 
have to do with producing the liquid current 
which they convey to the motor of the car. A 
city may have well- laid tracks, poles set and 
wires strung, upholstered cars of best quality 
all along the line, motormen and conductors 
well trained and well paid, and yet to “move the 
masses” there is one thing lacking — power. 
The same city may have well- organized churches, 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

stationed in every ward, manned with learned 
ministers, but to “ reach the masses ” there is 
still one thing needful — power. How excellent 
and necessary the cars, the wires, the men, but 
how useless when the current is obstructed! 
What great store we set by the many and ex- 
cellent organizations in the church. Useful? 
Yes. Scriptural? Yes. But perfect as they are, 
these do not constitute the power of the church. 
The promised power is another thing. 

A few years ago in a city of over 40,000 in- 
habitants there seemed to be a general awaken- 
ing and concern in the various churches for the 
unsaved, and many of them were already asking 
the way. The ministers of the city, above thirty 
in number, in their association, conceived a new 
plan of doing the work of the winter, that seemed 
promising. The old method of each man doing 
the work of an evangelist — and building the 
wall before his own door — seemed so slow and 
feeble. There was not power enough in this 
apparently disorganized method. Whereupon 
it was agreed that all denominational differences 
should be laid aside; that there be appointed a 
central committee, (all the ministers being sub- 
ject to appointments by the same); that the 
city be divided into districts and the churches 
into groups of four or five; and that union 
meetings be held for at least a week in each 
32 


Power and Promise 


church. The plan was completed and an- 
nounced in the city press. It seemed to meet 
with the approval of all. The universal verdict 
was that this thoroughly organized effort surely 
would add to the church many of such as should 
be saved. The meetings commenced. The 
people attended. The ministers went from 
group to group as appointed by the central 
committee. Never did they preach more 
eloquently. Many converts? So far as could 
be determined, there was not one. Nor for the 
rest of that autumn and winter did there seem 
to be any power. A most remarkable condition. 
Such had not been the experience in previous 
years — nor has it been since. No fault can be 
charged against the united effort. It lay rather 
in the false notion as to the true source of 
power. At an after meeting of the ministerial 
association, the moral was fully appreciated, 
“ Not by might nor by power.” Let it be noted 
still further that the power of the church — as 
promised by the Master — does not consist in 

WEALTH. 

The incident in the history of Peter and John, 
already cited, is to the point. At the beautiful 
gate of the temple lay the lame man. The 
structure itself was the representation of wealth. 
A magnificent building! And this its most 
33 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

beautiful gate. There the lame man daily had 
been laid. But all to no avail, except he re- 
ceived occasional alms. All the wealth of Jew 
and Roman represented by that costly temple 
could not cure. Of all those passing by, none 
could do more than give the coin. There comes a 
day, however, when two men appear on the scene 
with neither “silver nor gold” but with power 
not purchased with money. They are poor. 
They are plain, blunt men; but they have an 
order on the richest firm in the universe. They 
are authorized to represent and to use the name 
of the Cashier in every emergency. He has as- 
sured them, “ Whatsoever ye shall ask in My 
name, that I will do.” They need not hesitate 
in saying, as did that other servant, (Phil. 4 : 19) 
“My God shall supply all your need according 
to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” 

Here, too, is the source of supply for the church. 
One has fittingly noted the following analysis 
of this text: “My God” — the banker, “shall 
supply” — promissory note, “all your need” 
— the amount, “according to His riches” — the 
capital, “in glory” — the location, “by Christ 
Jesus” — the cashier. In this firm there are 
three: God the Father to whom the earth and 
the fulness thereof, the world, and they that 
dwell therein, belong; the Son who holds all the 
power in earth and heaven; the Spirit the dis- 
34 


Power and Promise 


penser of all wisdom. Well might Peter say to 
the lame man, “ Silver and gold have I none, in 
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up 
and walk.” In everyday parlance he could say, 
“ I have no loose change, but I have credit for 
anything your soul or body needs.” This is the 
normal condition of the genuine Christian and 
of the true church. The power is not in ready 
cash, but in an unlimited “bank stock.” If any 
lack wisdom, let him ask of God. If any man is 
weak, My grace is sufficient for him. Is any in 
need? My God shall supply according to His 
riches in glory. 

Money in hand is everything to the world. 
“Kich,” “rich,” “rich,” is the key-note of the 
natural man, and how easily Christians are car- 
ried away with the idea that wealth is power. 
True, it is one of the necessary means of carrying 
on the work of the church, but no amount of 
money can supply or secure the power necessary 
to convert a soul. Simon thought to obtain this 
power by money, but received a severe rebuke for 
thinking that the gift of God may be purchased. 
Is it not true that many Christians have mistaken 
notions as to the relation of money and the real 
power in the church? We are all too much in- 
clined to rely upon elegantly furnished churches, 
costly organs, paid choirs, and stylish minis- 
ters, for success; but if what we call success is 
35 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

the salvation of souls, these alone will never ac- 
complish the end. The lofty belfry may rever- 
berate with the melodious strains of bells chiming 
notes in a harmony that would melt the rocks, 
— “ Nearer my God to Thee,” — or “ Jesus lover 
of my soul.” The walls of our churches may 
resound with the sweet melody of welh trained 
voices, and our pulpits glisten with the cloth, 
but to no avail without the true power, — the 
promised power. 

It is true that a certain amount of money is 
necessary to establish and maintain church work 
in these days, and the building of every congre- 
gation should be as well furnished as the finest 
home among its members, but how important to 
understand that this is not the needed power. 
Frequently where wealth is most in evidence 
there is least power in saving the perishing. 
It is not an uncommon thing to see congrega- 
tions strong in numbers, thoroughly organized, 
and rich in financial support, yet fruitless in 
conversions; while within a few blocks a res- 
cue mission, struggling for money to meet the 
monthly rental, is daily saving souls. 

There is no little significance in the incident 
related in Peloubet’s Notes, as to how Thomas 
Aquinas once came to Pope Innocent IV. and 
was shown through all the sumptuously fur- 
nished rooms of the papal palace. He became 


Power and Promise 


fatigued and dazed as was the Queen of Sheba 
when she had witnessed the riches of Solomon’s 
kingdom. “See, Thomas,” said the Pope, “see, 
the church can no more say as it did in those 
first days/ Silver and gold have I none.’ ” “ True, 
Holy Father,” said Thomas Aquinas, “but the 
church of the present day can hardly say to a 
lame man what the church of the first days said, 
— ‘Arise and walk.’” It is not in the mind of 
the writer to ignore the importance of physical 
energy, or numerical strength, or organization, 
or wealth, in the Master’s work; but to empha- 
size the distinction between these and the real 
source of power. Again it is important to note 
that the source of her power is not in 

EDUCATION. 

The rulers of the Jews marveled when they 
saw that Peter and John were “unlearned and 
ignorant men.” Acts 4 : 13. It astonished them 
that these men could perform such wonderful 
works. About them was a manifest power in 
speech and works that cannot be accounted 
for unless they are men of unusual wisdom and 
superior learning; but they are not; they are 
“ unlearned and ignorant.” How can we account 
for their marvelous works? And in this it is true 
as in other things, “ Marvels never cease.” In 
the church to-day as among the early Christians 
37 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

the Master makes use of many who are neither 
scientists, nor philosophers, nor rhetoricians. 
Like as the young man at Philips academy, An- 
dover, who was so dull that after years of strug- 
gling effort he could not pass the examination 
for college and was finally transferred to the 
theological seminary, only to fail as he did in 
the academy. Yet, while in these schools he 
was used in doing a greater work for the Master 
by establishing Sabbath^schools and leading 
men to Christ than all the other students and 
professors combined. Finally being sent to a 
churchless, Christless town to work he was suc- 
cessful in leading the whole community to sal- 
vation. Like as Peter and John and many oth- 
ers so this young man, though “unlearned and 
ignorant,” had power — even the power. 

Education is constantly used of Christ as a 
means of unspeakable value, but apart from the 
promised power it is as sounding brass or a 
tinkling cymbal. The efforts of education with- 
out this power are as fruitless as the fingering 
of a musician on an airless instrument. But 
He who can use unlearned and ignorant men 
so mightily, can use to His glory the learned. 

While, therefore, many of those to whom this 
promise came, and who received the power, were 
not the learned men of the age, yet the Lord ar- 
rests Saul of Tarsus and harnesses his education 
38 


Power and Promise 


for the work of the kingdom. Yet even he did 
not labor with the “enticing words of man’s 
wisdom.” Many congregations of professing 
Christians and many ordained servants, mistak- 
enly rest on their superior education. Some de- 
nominations boast of an educated ministry, while 
others of a less mental furnishing and culture 
enjoy and exercise to a fuller extent the convert- 
ing and edifying power. Of the former it can 
be said their winning for Christ is thousands, — 
of the latter, ten thousands. 

Is it necessary to have a course in a school of 
theology, and elocutionary training, before one 
attempts to tell the story of Jesus and His love? 
Must we have a professional choir, an elegantly 
furnished church, and a large membership, in 
order to do service for the Master? Not at all. 
Far be it from me to speak lightly of these 
things. They are useful and have been highly 
honored in the service of the Lord. But they 
must not be exalted above the real power. If 
possible make your church beautiful within and 
without. Secure the besbtrained Christian 
choir possible. The praise service is too impor- 
tant to be performed in less than the best man- 
ner. 

Get education? Yes, all you can in the pulpit 
and pew. Knowledge is power. We honor edu- 
cation, and set much store by him who has it, 
39 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

We glory in it as individuals, and as a race. 
We are ready to join with Bushnell and say, 
“ Man conquers the sea and its storms. He 
harnesses the lightning. He bids the rocks 
dissolve, and summons the secret atoms to give 
up their names and laws. He subdues the 
forces of the world, and compels the forces of 
the waters and of the fires to be his servants.” 
There is a power in education, and how useful 
it can be in the Master’s service! But it is not 
the source of the church’s success in subduing 
Satan and liberating souls from his bondage. 

This promised power and education are not 
antagonistic nor are they inseparable in Christian 
work. The pow er can use the ordinary fisher- 
man or the humble peasant or the sage and 
scholar with astonishing results. Education 
with the power is mighty; without it, a fail- 
ure. Nor does this power have its source in a 

REPUTATION FOR RELIGION. 

We have read of a church with a reputation 
for religion and yet the divine criticism was 
“ Thou art dead.” (Rev. 3:1.) 

An imaginary case! An exceptional case! 
Just the contrary. It is a representative case. It 
is true of many churches and many individuals: 
“Thou hast a name that thou livest and art 
dead.” The Jews were religious. They went to 
40 


Power and Promise 


the temple at the hour of prayer, but did not 
possess the power to do for the lame man at the 
beautiful gate what Peter and John did. They 
had a reputation for religion. The sons of one 
Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the Priests (Acts 15: 
13-16), attempted some work under the name, 
or reputation, of Christianity, saying: “We ad- 
jure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches,” but the 
effort was a miserable failure. They were only 
mocked by the evil spirit. “ Jesus I know and 
Paul I know; but who are you?” They used 
the name of Jesus whom Paul preacned, but were 
utterly powerless in the presence of evil. The 
name of Jesus pronounced by one not His repre- 
sentative is nothing. Jesus in the life is the 
power of Jesus in the labor. “If ye abide in 
Me and My words abide in you, ye shall ask 
what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” 
( Jno. 15:7.) 

Many congregations and individuals are noted 
for their religion; their orthodox creeds, their 
faithful loyalty, and doctrine and laws, but they 
do not many mighty works. A name that they 
live, but are dead. Is it not true of many good 
conscientious Christians that, with all, the power 
is lacking? Already ye are clean. Ye are Chris- 
tians, but not endued with power from on high. 
There may be, and too often is, religion and 
the reputation for religion without the promised 
41 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

power, — the power needful for efficient service. 
Is it not largely due to mistaking our physical 
forces, numbers, organizations, wealth, educa- 
tion and religious reputation, for the true source 
of power which is the Holy Ghost? Our text 
says, — “Ye shall receive power after that the 
Holy Ghost is come upon you” 

Here is the true source of power. It is from 
on high. The power is nothing less than that 
of the Holy Ghost. Not a mere force or influ- 
ence but the Third Person of the Godhead. He 
it is who can utilize our physical energy and 
numbers. By Him our organizations are filled 
with life and power, and our wealth turned to 
profitable account. He sanctifies education and 
culture, and fills religious reputation with real 
Christian character, but without Him these are 
nothing. One has expressed the thought thus, 
— “All means which the church may use for the 
salvation of man without the Spirit in them are 
like a body without life; like a locomotive with- 
out steam; like a watch without a mainspring; 
like an organ without air; like nature without 
the life-giving power of the sun. However 
beautiful, unique, antiquated, united, extensive, 
wealthy, intellectual; however patronized and 
supported by the wise, the great, and the good, 
if the Spirit is absent from them, they will fail 
to accomplish the end desired.” There is no fit- 
42 


Power and Promise 


ness for service until endued with power from on 
high. Without this says Arthur in “ The Tongue 
of Fire,” “Our wealth, influence, facilities are 
ships of war and ammunition, without guns or 
men. Our ardor, talent, truth, are men and 
guns without fire.” It is not by might nor by 
power but by My Spirit. 

Not by the might or power of material things 
or human talents, but by the power of the Spirit. 
This is the power that makes life useful and ef- 
ficient. This it is, and this only, which will en- 
able the servants of God to turn this selfish, un- 
godly, simcursed world “ upside down.” 


43 


III. 

WORKINGS OF POWER. 


“ Ye shall receive power.” — Acts i. 8. 

In our last chapter we considered the ques- 
tion, — “What is this power as to its Origin and 
Nature?” Now, we are to inquire as to its 
Workings or Use? Again let the word power 
outline our study. Note first that this promised 
power is more than 

PROFESSING AND PERSEVERING POWER. 

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by 
the Holy Ghost. (1 Cor. 12: 3.) By the Spirit 
of God we are born again. (Jno. 3: 5.) By the 
power of God’s Spirit we are kept through faith 
unto salvation. By His Spirit God holds up the 
faithful just as truly as He picks up the fallen. 
He converts the sinner, and He consecrates the 
saint. He delivers no one from the grave that 
He does not start toward glory. He hath begun 
a good work, and He will finish it. Satan may 
desire to have us that he may sift us as wheat, 
but it is by the power of the Spirit, that our 
faith fails not. As at springtime the dormant 
44 


Power and Promise 


seeds are brought into life by the warming sun 
and the refreshing showers, so our souls, natur- 
ally dead in trespasses and sins, are regenerated 
by the Spirit of God. As the rain and dew from 
heaven water the plants of the field, sustaining 
life, and imparting vigor, so the Spirit of God 
imparts to us growth and strength. Thus it 
was with Enoch and Noah, with Moses and 
David, with Naomi and Ruth, with Hannah and 
Elisabeth. 

But to these disciples and early Christians, to 
their children, and to all that are afar off — even 
to as many as the Lord our God shall call — 
there is promise of more than that persevering 
power. Were they not already Christians to 
whom Christ said: “And, behold I send the 
promise of My Father upon you, but tarry ye 
here in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be en- 
dued with power from on high”? Were not 
they born again — were they not leading the 
Christian life, to whom the word came, “Ye shall 
receive power”? Did not the Holy Ghost, 
which is the promise of the Father, fall upon 
the Samaritans in a special manner after they 
had received the word, and were baptized in 
the name of the Lord Jesus? (Acts 8 : 14-17.) 
In like manner those Ephesian disciples re- 
ceived a special baptism of the Holy Spirit. 
(Acts 19: 6.) 


45 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

There can be no doubt that there is a fulness 
of the Spirit meant by this promised power 
which all Christians do not possess. If, there- 
fore, we would be useful and efficient servants, 
we must have that enduing and inffilling of the 
Holy Ghost that is promised to “ as many as the 
Lord shall call.” 

“ The power” implies more than persevering 
power — more than power to lead a Christian 
life. It meant for the early disciples power to 
perform the great work just set before them. 
It means for us all power for the activities of life 
as well as power to live the life. Power to do the 
work of the Master. That work is briefly but 
emphatically announced and outlined in the 
twofold “marching orders” to the Church. 
(1) “ Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature.” (2) “ Teaching them 
to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you.” To do this, Christians need, not 
a different kind, but a different degree of power 
than that necessary to maintain a Christian 
life. Persevering power, yes, but more, 

PLANNING POWER. 

Barnabas and Saul were sent forth by the 
Holy Ghost. (Acts 13: 2.) Paul purposed in 
the spirit (Acts 19:21) to go to Jerusalem, 
and he could not be persuaded to change his 
46 


Power and Promise 


plan. By the Spirit the disciples were sent 
forth ; their tours and work were as truly planned 
as they w r ere executed by the Spirit power. Power 
not simply to make the word effective when 
spoken, but also to direct as to the time and 
place of speaking it. The plan and work of 
their lives were under the direction of the 
Spirit as truly as their particular efforts. The 
command is, “Go ye into all the earth.” The 
question for each disciple is, “ Into what 
part of the earth shall I go?” It is true 
the Master maps out a general plan; “in 
Jerusalem, in all Judea, and in all Samaria, 
and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” 
Definite, yet indefinite. Peter must plan for 
his work; John for his; James and others for 
theirs. 

The plans of the apostle were so strictly 
guarded by the Spirit that he was forbidden of 
the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, and 
when he assayed to go into Bitliynia the Spirit 
suffered him not. The plan was that he should 
go to Troas, and see in the vision the Macedo- 
nian crying, — “Come over and help us.” (Acts 
16: 6-10.) At a casual glance it might seem as 
if the apostles and helpers just “happened to be 
there” when the work was accomplished through 
their ministry. Not so. It was no accident. 
It was God’s plan. But were not the disciples 
47 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

responsible for their whereabouts? Barnabas 
and Paul were sent forth by the Holy Ghost. 
Paul purposed in the spirit to go to Jerusalem. 
Even so also, Carey and Taylor were sent forth 
by the Spirit. So still, ministers need this 
power to decide the place of locating no less 
than they do to perform the labor of the field 
when there; to plan their sermons as well as to 
proclaim them. 

Nor does this planning end with utilizing our 
own talents and energies. It involves also the 
enlisting of others whose powers under the 
Spirit may be of greater use than our own in 
extending the kingdom. It was so with Barna- 
bas at Antioch (Acts 11:25). “Much people 
were added unto the Lord” under his ministry, 
but he was not content, even when he had “ ex- 
horted them all.” He is “ full of the Spirit and 
of faith ” and is eminently “ successful,” but he 
plans for greater things. Soon he is on his 
way “ to Tarsus to seek Saul.” The subsequent 
history shows that he planned well; better 
than he knew. These plans by men “ full of 
the Holy Ghost and of faith ” reach further and 
deeper, work better and last longer, than the 
planner contemplates. How different from the 
“ plots ” and “schemes ” of the much envied 
“sharp,” or “keen,” or “shrewd” men of the 
world. What a wondrous history follows the 
48 


Power and Promise 


bringing of Saul to Antioch ! Antioch becomes a 
second Jerusalem, the headquarters of the mis- 
sionary operations of the early church. 

We all need this power to plan for the work. 
The Sabbath'School officers who seek not the 
Spirit in planning for the work of the school 
will have little power in conducting and per- 
forming the work. Can the teacher who does 
not look for this power in planning for her 
class expect to receive power for the thirty* 
minute recitation? The secret of power some 
young people have in conducting meetings is 
that they have power in planning for the meet- 
ings. The great difficulty with us is we like to 
lay our own plans. But if we expect to receive 
power in performing, let us go back further and 
seek power in planning. This applies to our 
lives as well as to our work. Many Christians 
fail in the general plan of life. They have 
chosen the wrong occupation or profession. 
They have decided what they would “ like to be 
and do.” They did not ask what God meant 
them to be and do. Then in vain they seek the 
power of the Spirit to be and do what they 
want to be and do. 

Let us plan our lives and our work in the 
Spirit. The choosing and deciding on a gen- 
eral plan under His direction is not inconsist- 
ent with His guidance in the particular duties 
49 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

under that plan, but rather it is the only way to 
secure His co-operation. If congregations would 
seek the power of the Holy Ghost in locating 
and building their churches, they would have 
more assurance of power in their future work. 
It is generally the convenience and power of the 
“ influential members ” that are consulted, re- 
gardless of the needs and demands of the com- 
munity, regardless of the opportunities of reach- 
ing the unsaved. God’s interest is not con- 
sidered. We locate ourselves. This land to* 
day is dotted over with churches which are 
little more than monuments to human plans. 
Hence signal failures! How much better to 
ask, “Whither shall we go up?” Planning 
power — yes, and more still, 

OPERATING POWER. 

Paul purposed in spirit to go to J erusalem, 
(Acts 19: 21), and he was bound in the spirit 
(Acts 20:22) while going. But let us not mis- 
take this case as a special one, nor dismiss the 
matter with the thought that for every day 
Christian service, we do not have the assurance 
of this power. If our work is worthy of a 
Christian; if its aim is the glory of God, it is 
worthy of this special power. Paul had his 
work, and we each have ours. Paul testified 
that he preached the gospel of Christ “by the 
50 


Power and Promise 


power of the Spirit of God,” not with enticing 
words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration 
of the Spirit and of power. He assured the 
Corinthians that there are diversities of gifts, 
but the same Spirit; that there are diversities of 
operations, but the same God that worketh all 
in all. Different gifts, and, of course, different 
operations. He gave some to be apostles; and 
some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and 
some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of 
the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto 
the building up of the body of Christ. (Eph. 
4: 11-12.) Paul plants and Apollos waters. “ It 
is not reason that we should leave the Word and 
serve tables,” say the twelve; so seven other 
men, full of the Holy Ghost, are chosen for the 
table^service. 

In every part of the work the Holy Ghost 
power is requisite. In serving tables, as well 
as in the ministry of the word.' Not only to 
plan the work, but to do it when planned. The 
new kingdom is not one of plans and specifica- 
tions only, but of work, of real activity. The 
Master’s work is not done when an “ orthodox ” 
confession, or a “sound ” creed is adopted. It is 
not enough to draw up a constitution, appoint 
committees, sign pledges, “to do whatever He 
would like to have me do.” The meetings are 
to be attended. The Scripture is to be read un- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

derstandingly. The effective fervent prayer is 
to be offered, the sick are to be visited, sinners 
are to be brought to Christ, churches are to 
be built, missions are to be established and 
manned, hospitals and almshouses are to be 
established and supported, missionaries are to 
be maintained at home and abroad, the father- 
less and widows are to be visited in their 
afflictions, and self is to be kept unspotted from 
the world. The command, “ Go ye,” with all it 
implies, is to be obeyed. What a diversity of 
operations! Yet there is a promise of power for 
each. Whatever the sphere in life, however 
humble the situation, it is true — if wanted — “ Ye 
shall receive power.” This is the promise, and 
by our meeting of the proper conditions — we 
can expect it; both to arrange the plan, and to 
perform the particulars under it. 

This is true of the congregation as well as of 
the individual. The young Christian may have 
chosen the right course, or the congregation 
may be well organized and equipped, but lack- 
ing the power to go forward and accomplish the 
desired results. Standing on one of the numer- 
ous bridges which span the Altoona, Pa., rail- 
road yards, we see, on the main tracks beneath 
us many engines, filled with that powers giving 
element — steam — passing this way and that with 
their burdens of freight. Near by, and all 

52 


Power and Promise 


along the yards are other engines to all appear- 
ances as well equipped, but they are motionless, 
powerless, and for all immediate purposes, use- 
less. What is the difference? These last named 
have all the necessary wheels and drivers and 
bolts and rivets, but lack the one thing needful. 
These great engines, in this respect, are like 
many Christians and congregations, which, full 
oft, are thoroughly equipped with wealth and in- 
telligence and education and organization, but 
which are powerless, because they lack the one 
essential — the Holy Spirit. 

These welbequipped engines are necessary 
agents of the steam power. By thus confining 
and definitely applying it the burdens of the 
world are moved. So the Master has need of 
welbequipped men and women. He can oper- 
ate through them, can use welborganized con- 
gregations, their wealth and intelligence; but 
only when filled with the Holy Ghost. How- 
ever wealthy and numerous the members of a 
congregation or society, however welborganized, 
however talented the individual, and thorough 
his education, it is still true: “ Without Me ye 
can do nothing.” “ It is the Spirit that quick- 
eneth.” By Him we are quickened to life, and 
by Him we are strengthened for the duties of 
that life. How could Paul have endured the 
labor of those missionary journeys, that alb 
53 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

night sermon at Troas (Acts 20: 7-11), and that 
albday service at Rome (Acts 28: 23), without 
the power of the Spirit? 

It is a delight for the spiritual man to serve 
God. He never tires. Persecution only deep- 
ens the sense of duty and increases the joy of 
service. Difficulties multiply the efforts and 
strengthen the purpose to persevere. This is 
true of Carey and Taylor and Paton, as well as 
of Paul. In these missionary operations, in 
that long and severe trial, in that dangerous and 
eventful sea voyage, with its multitude of oppor- 
tunities and its ever-increasing burden of re- 
sponsibilities, the power of the Spirit was 
Paul’s strength. 

Again, that this power is effective in its oper- 
ations is shown by the Scriptural record. The 
apostle reminds the Thessalonians of the re- 
sults of his labor among them. “Tor our gos- 
pel come not unto you in word but also in 
power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much 
assurance, and ye became followers of us and 
the Lord.” (1 Thes. 1: 5, 6.) Here are the 
results pointed out. The end justifies the work. 
It is not enough that the gospel come in word 
only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost. Paul 
was with the Corinthians in weakness and in 
fear and in much trembling. It is the power of 
the Spirit that brings the individual or the 
54 


Power and Promise 


united effort to a successful issue. The prom- 
ised power is not only for planning and oper- 
ating, but for an efficient ending of the work. 

It may not be success in the eyes of men, but 
it will be the accomplishing of the work that 
God designed to be done. The results reached 
are not always what we desire or expect but what 
God pleases. The commission of the Christian 
is similar to that of the prophet : “ I do send thee 
unto them, whether they will hear or whether 
they will forbear.” One has observed that 
Peter, full of power, preaches, and thousands are 
converted. Steven, full of power, preaches, and 
is stoned to death. The “forbearing” is often 
the most conclusive evidence that the messen- 
ger is full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. 

Some suggest, that because no church was or- 
ganized at Athens, the apostle made a mistake 
in going there and addressing the Athenians as 
he did, but is not this an evidence of the truth 
he himself announces: “For behold your call- 
ing, brethren; how that not many wise after the 
flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are 
called ”? (1 Cor. 1:26.) “ Well spake the Holy 

Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 
saying, Go unto this people and say, Hearing 
ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and 
seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.” (Acts 
28:25,26.) Think not that, “his spirit was 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

stirred in him,” for nothing. “ Some mocked, 
others said, We will hear thee again, and cer- 
tain men clave unto him and believed.” Here 
are the usual effects of the Spirit’s work in 
preaching, “A savour of death unto death, 
and of life unto life.” Had Paul not been 
under the power of the Spirit he might have 
adjusted himself and his preaching to the de- 
mands of the Athenians and have “ secured an 
organization,” but he declares unto them the 
“ unknown God,” and the “ resurrection of the 
dead,” thereby doing the work for which the 
Holy Ghost “sent him forth.” The efficiency 
of this power is vindicated just as much where 
men forbear as where they bear — when men re- 
fuse as when they hear. The power is as much 
present when the dust of condemnation is 
shaken off the feet, as when the water of bap- 
tism is administered. 

This fact is not to be mistakenly applied 
as consolation by those who, laboring merely 
by the “ energy of the flesh,” have actually 
failed in doing efficiently the Lord’s work. 
But on the other hand it is to be used as an in- 
centive to seek the presence and power of the 
Spirit that our apparent failures may be tri- 
umphant victories. Just in proportion as 
the Christian and the church possess this 
power, are they efficient. There is a volume of 
56 


Power and Promise 


meaning in the Master’s question, “ Who then 
is that faithful and wise steward?” Not only 
faithful, but wise — prudent. And in preparing 
them for the great work of the church, He 
would certainly provide the necessary wisdom. 
But “whatsoever shall be given you in that 
hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, 
but the Holy Ghost.” How often our planning 
and operating are in vain, and even bungling, 
because we have not trusted to the Spirit’s 
power for the results. We have overdone or 
undone; we have spoken too often, or not often 
enough. Faithful? yes, but be wise as well. 
Seek that wisdom that cometh from above; 
that wisdom which the Spirit of God alone can 
give. Paul was endued with this wisdom by 
the Holy Ghost, and was correspondingly effi- 
cient in his own defense, and in the defense and 
diffusion of the gospel. He was “all things” 
to all men; preaching Christ, “warning every 
man, and teaching every man in all wisdom.” 
As it is not in man that walketh to direct his 
steps, neither is it in the Christian that worketh 
to direct his efforts to a successful issue. He 
may plant and water, but God giveth the in- 
crease. 

But we are assured by the history of the 
early church and by the labor of thousands in 
later days, that he who drinks deep of the foun- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

tain of spiritual power will never be a failure. 
All he does shall jDrosper well. Inefficiency is 
simply a synonym for lack of dependence on 
the Holy Spirit. 

In “ Secret of a Happy Life ” we read of the 
little girl at the idiot asylum. In the dumb=bell 
exercise, where every movement was perfect, 
the contrast between her movements and that 
of the others in the drill, was so marked that an 
explanation was sought, and it was found that 
the child had no more strength or skill than the 
others, but because of her weakness and sub- 
mission, the director, who had planned the exer- 
cise, stood behind her, supporting her arms, and 
directing her every movement. So this promise 
of the Father brings with it skill to plan and 
strength to do efficiently the Lord’s work. 
“ Unless the Lord the house shall build, the 
weary builders toil in vain. Unless the Lord 
the city shield, the guards a useless watch main- 
tain.” (Ps. 127:1.) 

Again this operating power is especially 
marked in the work of witness-bearing. The 
promise is “Ye shall receive power,” that ye 
may be “witnesses unto Me.” Witnesses of 
what He had said, and had done, and of what 
He is — His doctrine, His death, and His resur- 
rection. How closely associated is the duty and 
privilege of witness^bearing with the promise of 
58 


Power and Promise 


spiritual power. After Christ meets with the 
disciples, and has opened their understanding, 
He tells them what and where they are to preach, 
saying: “ Ye are witnesses of these things, and 
behold I send the promise of My Father upon 
you.” (Luke 24: 48, 49.) Before this He had 
told them that when the Comforter is come He 
shall testify of Me, and ye also, shall bear wit- 
ness. (Jno. 15: 26, 27.) Then Peter and the 
other apostles recognize their position, and in- 
form the council, saying: “We are witnesses of 
these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost.” 
(Acts 5: 32.) 

They are witnesses, but not alone, not in their 
own strength. The Holy Ghost is also witness, 
not only in His coming as evidence of Christ’s 
acceptance by the Father, but in His falling upon 
and baptizing the disciples, and filling them 
with the power from on high. When the 
apostles, with great power, gave the witness of 
the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and spoke 
the word of God with boldness, we note it was 
immediately after they had been filled with the 
Holy Ghost. (Acts 4: 31-33.) 

This, too, explains the conduct of Peter. 
Trusting in himself, he thrice denied his Lord. 
(Matt. 24: 69-74.) But when he had received 
power, he stood before the great audience and 
thrust them hard with this scathing accusation: 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

“Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God 
among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, 
which God did by Him in the midst of you, as 
ye yourselves also know, Him being delivered 
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge 
of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands 
have crucified and slain.” (Acts 2: 22, 23.) 
A scene not unlike that picture of the prophet 
Micah when he said: “But truly I am full of 
power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judg- 
ment and of might to declare unto Jacob his 
transgression and to Israel his sin.” (Micah 
3:8.) 

Paul said, “ I am not ashamed of the gospel 
of Christ.” (Rom. 1:16.) And by the witness- 
ing power of the Holy Spirit, he was enabled 
to verify this saying in his life and work. He 
deemed it of more value than his natural life to 
have the privilege of testifying. “None of 
these things move me, neither count I my life 
dear unto myself, so that I might finish my 
course with joy, and the ministry which I have 
received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel 
of the grace of God.” (Acts 20: 24-27.) He will 
not be hindered in his witnessdbearing, either by 
his friends or enemies. His friends could not 
dissuade him from going to Jerusalem. (Acts 
21: 13.) Nor could his enemies silence him 
when he was there. As Acts 22nd chapter in- 


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Power and Promise 


dicates, he is not ashamed to own the gospel 
and tell his interest in it. Even before 
the council and the rulers, Felix, Festus and 
Agrippa, he witnessed the more boldly. And 
on that voyage, and in that “hired house,” he is 
still in “ bonds for Christ,” until, through it all, 
and even “ unto death,” he verifies the fact, “ I 
am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” 

It is as truly the privilege of every Christian 
to have this witnessing power as it is the duty of 
every Christian to hear witness. To this wit- 
nesS'bearing there is no limit. It is not one or 
two, we are all witnesses. It is not to be done 
only when convenient, or at pleasure, but even 
unto death. Not simply in convenient places, 
but in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Sa- 
maria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. 
(Acts 1:8.) Nor is there any limit to the power. 
“Ye shall receive power; for the promise is unto 
you, and your children, and to all that are afar 
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall 
call.” Not only is this planning and operating 
power, but it is also 

WATCHING POWER. 

Watching against dangers and temptations 
and errors. Before departing to Jerusalem Paul 
warned the elders of the church at Ephesus to 
take heed unto themselves and to all the flock 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

over which the Holy Ghost had made them 
over-seers, Watch against grievous wolves, and 
men speaking perverse things. (Acts 20:28, 32. ) 
By the Holy Ghost they were made over-seers, 
and by that same power they can take heed to 
themselves and watch the grievous wolves. The 
Master Himself tells the disciples to beware of 
false prophets. We are commanded to “ Try the 
spirits whether they are of God.” How neces- 
sary this power to watch, and how important to 
seek the promised power. “ Unless the Lord 
the city shield, the guards a useless watch main- 
tain.” In this day of materialism and of liberal 
thought, the power to watch is especially im- 
portant. 

On the other hand, the servants of Christ can 
expect power to watch for opportunities of doing 
good. “ Take heed ” not only to yourselves, but 
to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath 
made you overseers, to feed the church of God. 
Watch, therefore, to profit the church, as well 
as to protect. The Holy Ghost made them over- 
seers to watch for souls as truly as to watch for 
wolves. For some reason, many well-meaning 
church officers and members are exceedingly 
anxious to watch for danger points, while they 
seem wholly unconcerned about the opportuni- 
ties for doing good. 

Like that erratic Presbyterian who wished to 
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Power and Promise 


be chosen as an elder, and acknowledged to his 
pastor that he could neither pray nor visit the 
sick, but he could object to some of “ them new 
things ” in the church. For like reasons many 
Ood'given opportunities are let pass while our 
time is occupied with criticising and discussing 
questions long ago settled, or such as never will 
be settled, or those of little concern to us. Not 
long ago, while coming over the Allegheny 
Mountains from the west, the writer and other 
passengers were both annoyed and amused by a 
woman’s frequent questions concerning the fa- 
mous horse-shoe curve on the Pennsylvania rail- 
road. She was all excitement, it was her first 
trip over this road. For miles she disturbed 
those all about her with questions. No sooner 
had we emerged from the tunnel and reached 
the top of the slope than she looked down into 
that deep gorge and began at once to condemn 
the “greed and recklessness of any corporation 
that would construct a railroad in such a fright- 
ful and dangerous place”; so she continued her 
downward look and complaint until the curve 
was in sight when her criticising eyes were fixed 
on the, “ no tresspassing ” signboard far below 
at the head of the reservoir. Surmising what it 
was for, she immediately began a discussion as 
to whether that was sufficient protection to the 
water supply of the city: “ If I lived in Altoona 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

and used that water I would have it better pro- 
tected than that,” she said. As she thus quibbled 
and complained, that fine long train, with its 
skilful engineer and experienced crew, came 
gliding along with security and rapidity, on its 
rock^bed track, turning all the curves gracefully 
and successfully, but the poor woman had lost 
one of the grandest opportunities of her life. 
She never once thought of the remarkable skill 
in surveying and building such a road by “ an- 
nihilating” the mountains, nor did she even get 
a glimpse of that magnificent view, which God 
had spread out before her, of mountains and 
valleys and forests, wrapped in their mantle of 
green and yellow, tinged with the rising sun, 
reaching into the distance and blending into 
the blue canopy of heaven. This incident is a 
solemn picture of many Christians, who to-day 
seem anxious to find greater opportunities, but 
are continually irritated over disputed points, 
and quibble over technicalities, while the church 
of Christ moves rapidly and securely along until, 
for them, great and sacred opportunities are for- 
ever gone. 

Men filled with the Holy Ghost are ready to 
detect error, and to avoid it, but they are espe- 
cially watchful for the work ; not any and every 
work, but the thing that will be of most use to 
the cause. They watch for souls as they who 
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Power and Promise 


must give account, that they may do it with joy 
and not with grief. In this time of evangelistic 
effort and missionary zeal, when the whole world 
is lying in darkness, when from every side the 
Macedonian cries are coming, every congrega- 
tion and every denomination, should be on the 
watch for opportunities of serving Christ the 
best possible. 

In many respects the life of a Christian re- 
sembles that of a fisherman. The skilful fisher- 
man is on the watch for danger points, but his 
main object is to find “ good spots.” He 
watches for every advantage, and soon learns to 
abandon what will interfere with success. He 
watches for good days, as well as good places; 
for suitable baits, and the best way and time to 
present them. He watches against a noisy, 
boisterous display of tackling and self. In fact, 
he hides himself. Christian, go to the fisher- 
man and learn his ways. The same one who 
said “I will make you fishers of men,” said, “Ye 
shall receive power.” 

But this power is also 

ENLIGHTENING POWER. 

Christ opened the understanding of the dis- 
ciples that they might understand the Scriptures. 
(Luke 24: 25.) If it is expedient that He go 
away that the Comforter come, surely the Com- 


Memory Talks on. Spiritual Power 

forter, which is the Holy Ghost, will open the 
understanding of Christ’s people. 

“He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it 
nnto you.” (Jno. 16: 10.) Lydia’s heart was 
opened that she attended unto the things which 
were spoken by Paul. But there is an enlighten- 
ment beyond that which leads to conviction of 
sin and conscious need of a Savior. These dis- 
ciples, in order to write the gospel for future 
ages, must be enabled to recall what the Lord 
has said and done, and they must be taught the 
many things to write. For this very purpose 
the Holy Ghost is given to them. “ He shall 
teach you all things, and bring all things to your 
remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you.” 
(Jno. 14: 26.) This is special preparation of 
the apostles for giving the gospel to the world, 
but we are living under the ministration of the 
Spirit — a glorious ministration — and shall He 
not open our understanding also that we may 
understand the Scriptures? Truly so. 

He shall not impart any truth to us beyond 
that already revealed in the word, but He shall 
open our eyes that we may behold wondrous 
things out of the law. The same power that 
operates the car gives light to the passengers. 
So also the operating power of the church is 
the power that enlightens her members. He it 
is that teaches us the truth as it is in Jesus; 

66 


Power and Promise 

shows us the difference between our ways and 
God’s ways; our thoughts and God’s thoughts. 
“The Spiribpromised rod out of the root of 
Jesse,” is the spirit of wisdom and understand - 
ing and counsel, as well as that of might , the 
spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the 
Lord. (Isa. 11:2, 3.) 

One recently converted, but now a man mighty 
in the word, testified to the writer that one of 
the greatest surprises he met in the new life was 
the revelation of truth to him in the passages of 
scripture, which, in his former state of infidelity, 
had no meaning at all to him, except to perplex 
those who were seeking his salvation. As in this 
case, so in every other, it is true that, “ The 
natural man receiveth not the things of the 
Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; 
neither can he know them, because they are 
spiritually discerned.” It also is true that, “ Eye 
hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- 
tered into the heart of man, the things that God 
hath prepared for them that love Him.” No, 
but, “God hath revealed them unto us by His 
Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2: 9, 10.) The natural eye may 
be keen, the natural ear perfect, but to such the 
deep things of God, which the Spirit revealeth, 
are invisible and inaudible. 

The unschooled man opens his geometry, and 
with a keen eye traces the angles and lines. He 
<57 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

sees the circles and segments clearly. But the 
meaning thereof is no more clear to him than to 
the blind man who simply lays his hand on the 
back of the book. “ Understandest thou what 
thou readest?” “ How can I?” Nor can the 
Christian read the word understanding^, nor 
hear the voice of God in the many visitations of 
Providence, except he receives the enlightening 
power of the Spirit to guide him. 

At a phonographic entertainment, given re- 
cently, a child in the audience was delighted with 
the reproduction of “The Medley of National 
Airs ” by the renowned Gilmore’s Band. But she 
knew nothing of the famous Band, nor of the 
various airs of which the Medley consisted. She 
was unacquainted with the nature and workings 
of the instrument before her. She could see the 
f unnebshaped amplifying tube and, back of it, 
the boxlike machine; here her vision ended. But 
the operator, seeing her interest, gave her per- 
sonal instructions. He explained how that blank 
cylinder was made to revolve on the shaft, and 
how, on each revolution, that little “recorder” 
made the groove and left the impressions made 
by the vibrations of music striking the mantle 
in the “ speaker.” Then he pictured before her 
the great Band with its experienced and skilful 
leader and members, and its numerous musical 
instruments. To this was added an explanation 
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Power and Promise 

of the music — its composition and harmony — and 
of the various nations represented in this “ Med- 
ley of National Airs.” What a wonderful vision 
arose before her in comparison with the first 
view simply of the machine and the amplifying 
tube. She now had some knowledge of the 
marvelous invention and its great inventor. She 
had learned that music itself is a marvel no less 
than its instruments. She had come into a better 
understanding of those nations, with their varied 
histories. She was astonished at the wonderful 
revelations made to her. Such is the office of 
the Holy Spirit. The printed or spoken text may 
be interesting, but when the Comforter comes 
into the life, the vision is opened up to see, back 
of that text, the wisdom and power and love and 
goodness of God. In utter surprise we exclaim: 
“ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom 
and knowledge! How unsearchable are His judg- 
ments and His ways past finding out.” (Rom. 
11 : 33 .) 

In our work, too, this enlightening power 
of the Spirit is indispensable. There are cer- 
tain operations in the rudiments which seem 
plain to us, but in the fuller exercise of the 
principles of the kingdom, we are lost with- 
out the special guidance of the Spirit. An 
eminent instructor tells of a young student who 
could add, and subtract, and multiply, and divide 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

when these various processes were indicated to 
him, but when given a practical example in 
which these processes were involved, yet not 
indicated, he was bewildered, and in his perplex- 
ity came to the teacher with a forlorn look 
and distressing exclamation: “How can I tell 
when to add and when to divide and multiply?” 
Is it not even so in the Master’s work? We 
know many of the principles involved and much 
of the work to be done, but how can we know 
when to go to Samaria and when to the desert, 
when not “to go in to Bithynia,” when not 
“ to preach the word in Asia ” and when “ to go 
to Macedonia ? The Teacher, the Guide will 
lead us. “ Lo, I am with you always.” 

Once more, this is also 

REWARDING POWER. 

After they had received this promised power, 
the apostles, even when beaten by the council, 
departed “rejoicing that they were counted 
worthy to suffer shame for His sake.” (Acts 5: 
41.) Previous to this, they could not suffer the 
finger of scorn for His name. (Jno. 18:27.) 
Why the change? They have received power. 
The Holy Ghost has come upon them, convinc- 
ing them that the sufferings of the present time 
are not worthy to be compared with the glory 
that shall be revealed in us. Only by the power 
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Power and Promise 


of God’s Spirit could they be enabled to under- 
stand the meaning of the truth, afterward spoken 
to the church: “Unto you it is given, in the 
behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him but 
also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil. 1:29.) 

The office of a comforter is to reward the dis- 
tressed with relief; to give strength and support 
in time of weakness; to compensate for every 
loss ; to bring healing for every pain. The prom- 
ise of “ another Comforter ” is not only the prom- 
ise of one to guide us and give power in plan- 
ning and operating efficiently, but one to reward 
us for every sacrifice made and every loss sus- 
tained in the seeking of this promised power. 
“ I will send you another Comforter ” to reward 
you for My absence and to compensate you for 
every physical pleasure abandoned and every 
“affection” and lust of the flesh “crucified” for 
My sake. 

When at Antioch (Acts 13: 51) Paul and 
Barnabas were expelled by persecution, it is 
said they were full of joy. How can we account 
for this joy? Persecution does not tend to joy. 
We would expect them to be full of gloom and 
sadness, but the explanation is found in the 
same verse. They were “filled with joy and 
with the Holy Ghost .” “Filled with the Holy 
Ghost” accounts for the fulness of joy. There 
is a “ rewarding power ” over which outward cir- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

cumstances have no control. The presence and 
fulness of the Holy Ghost brings that power. 
The Lord meant that His followers should have 
this power for adverse and otherwise discourag- 
ing times; for He says: “ Kejoice and be exceed- 
ing glad for great is your reward in heaven; for 
so persecuted they the prophets which were be- 
fore you.” (Matt. 5:12.) The command “to 
rejoice and be exceeding glad ” implies the prom- 
ise of power to fulfil the command. That power 
the Spirit alone can give. In the work of the 
kingdom, these and all others will find reward 
by the Spirit of God. 

In this way the service of the Master brings 
its own reward. To seek and expect reward is 
natural. The natural man can find reward in 
money, worldly honor, political power, or physi- 
cal pleasure. In the service of God the spiri- 
tual man finds great pleasure and unspeakable 
reward. To do the Master’s will is his meat 
and drink. He is not satisfied with mere com- 
mendation from his codaborers. This may en- 
courage him but it does not satisfy. There 
must be the inner consciousness of doing the 
Master’s will. This, the Spirit alone can give. 
For what man knoweth the things of man, save 
the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the 
things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit 
of God. Now we have received not the spirit 
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Power and Promise 


of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, 
that we might know the things which are freely 
given to us of God. While the spirit of the 
world, which we have not received, begets 
doubt, perplexity, and despair, the Spirit of 
God brings hope, joy, and peace. The apostles 
have received many stripes, but even at mid- 
night their fellow prisoners are stirred with 
songs of praise to God. 

In the daily service of the Christian there 
must be greater reward than any earthly or 
material considerations can afford. Such con- 
siderations may induce some to take up the ac- 
tivities of the Christian church, but how soon 
all such persons become faint and weary, and 
often, like the young man, utterly fall. Only 
such as through sanctification of the Spirit are 
called to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, can and do, either in prosperity or 
adversity, mount up with wings as eagles, or run 
and not be weary, and walk and not faint. 

The Christian worker, who is actuated only by 
visible results or material benefits, has no satis- 
faction of heart and soul, such as the Spirit 
brings. True he has a reward. “Verily they 
have their reward.” The reputation of a grow- 
ing congregation, of an eloquent preacher, or 
the receiving of a large salary, are not such 
rewards as the Spirit sets before the minister of 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

the gospel. Certainly he rejoices to see his 
congregation grow in numbers, he is pleased to 
learn that his sermons are appreciated. As a 
material support he must necessarily receive a 
salary, but these are his encouragements and 
physical support, not his reward. By this prom- 
ised power he is lifted above these earthly con- 
siderations, and all he does is for the glory of 
God. This is the aim of all service and of the 
whole life. When, by power of the Spirit, this 
is accomplished there is that inner consciousness 
and satisfaction of heart which always causes 
the soul to rejoice. 

By this power we are enabled to eat and 
drink to the glory of God, and to realize that 
whether we live we live unto the Lord, or whether 
we die we die unto the Lord. This is the power 
that rewards the efforts to save souls, whether 
to the eyes of men we have been successful or 
not. 

The story is told of a minister preaching to 
an assembly of his brethern; and in order to 
direct their attention to the great motive from 
which they should act, and to the certainty of 
reward for the faithful, he represented to them 
something of the great day of judgment. Hav- 
ing spoken of Christ seated on His throne he 
described Him as speaking to His ministers, ex- 
amining how they had preached and with what 
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Power and Promise 


views they had undertaken and discharged the 
duties of the ministry. “ What did you preach 
for?” “I preached, Lord, that I might keep a 
good living that was left by my father which, if 
I had not entered the ministry, would have been 
wholly lost to me and my family.” Christ, the 
judge, addressed him: “Stand by, thou hast had 
thy reward.” The question was addressed to an- 
other, “ What did you preach for ? ” “ Lord, I was 
applauded as a learned man, and I preached 
to keep up the reputation of an excellent 
orator, and an ingenious preacher.” The answer 
of Christ to him also was, “ Stand by, thou 
hast had thy reward.” The judge puts 
the question to a third, “ And what did you 
preach for?” “Lord” saith he, “I neither 
aimed at the great things of this world, though 
I was thankful for the conveniences of this life 
which Thou gavest me, nor did I preach that I 
might gain the character of a wit, or of a man 
of parts, or of a fine scholar, but I preached in 
compassion to souls, and to please and honor 
Thee.” The judge was now described as calling 
out, “Room, men, room, angels! let this man 
come and sit by Me on the throne; he has owned 
and honored Me on earth and I will own and 
honor him through all the ages of eternity.” For 
such a ministry as this, commended in the rep- 
resentation by the minister, the church of 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Christ and her individual members have the 
promise of power. Power to perform the duties 
involved, and power by the same Spirit to do the 
work, — “not with eye service as mempleasers, 
but as the servants of Christ doing the will of 
God from the heart. Knowing that whatever 
good thing any man doeth the same shall he re- 
ceive of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:6, 8.) 

The Holy Spirit, like the Son, has His reward 
with Him and that Christian who receives the 
promise of the Father has not only power to con- 
tinue, and to persevere, in the Christian life, but 
he also has power to plan , and to operate those 
plans, and more still, watching , enlightening , 
and rewarding power. 

Having seen, thus, something of what this 
promised power is, first as to its origin, and 
second as to its workings, the most practical 
question remains to be considered, viz., “ How 
can we obtain this power?" 


76 


IV. 

ENUNCIATION OF POWER. 


“ Ye shall receive power.” — Acts. 1.8. 

Our effort in this chapter shall be to answer 
the question — How is spiritual power secured? 
How can I get it? This is the personal and 
practical question for the Christian. It is not 
enough to learn of the origin and workings of 
this power. Such knowledge begets a desire to 
possess it; but the alhimportant question is the 
manner of appropriating it to the Christian life 
and service. 

Our aim is to serve the Master. In ourselves 
we have no power. Our physical, mental and 
social faculties are nothing in themselves. It 
has been shown that numbers, organization, 
wealth, education and religious reputation are 
useless when alone. All physical energy and 
activity in preaching and visiting and praying 
and singing are little more than industrious 
idleness, without spiritual power. 

The uppermost question then is how to secure 
the power. The question is one, but the answer 
is two. There are the Godward and the manward 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

sides. In this chapter we shall consider the 
first; the other will be considered later. 

The divine side is seen in the promise of the 
Master. He says: “ Ye shall receive power after 
that the Holy Ghost is come upon yon.” To 
understand more fully the Godward side in the 
pursuit of this power it will be necessary to note 
the nature of the promise. Let us again tiall up 
the word power by which to outline our thoughts. 
First, note that this is a 

PERTINENT PROMISE. 

It is pertinent as to time. “ But now I go my 

way to Him that sent Me.” “ But if I depart 

I will send Him unto you.” (Jno. 16:5, 7.) 

And now, just as He is about to ascend, His last 

promise is, “ Ye shall receive power.” How 

appropriate the promise to the time. We 

do not wonder that He had occasion to say: 

“ Sorrow hath filled your heart.” It fills our 

hearts with sorrow to learn of the speedy and 

final departing of those whom we love and trust. 

“It is hard to break the cords when love has bound the 
heart; 

It is hard to speak these words, ‘Must we forever part?’” 

It is not difficult to see the drooping counte- 
nance of those disciples when from His sacred 
lips came the words: “Now I go my way to 
Him that sent Me.” This is a sad and dis- 
couraging announcement after those years of 
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Power and Promise 


fellowship in which they had reached the point 
of trust and obedience that, “ whatsoever He 
saith,” was a sufficient call to “ do it.” 

They are grieved — sorrow fills their hearts 
— because now He is going His way. And while 
He had assured them that He was going to “ pre- 
pare a place for them,” yet they may not fully 
understand that other expression: “Whither 
I go ye can not come.” At all events there was 
ample occasion for the sorrow- filled hearts at 
the announcement, “ Now I go My way.” But 
it is especially true in the Lord’s kingdom that 
each loss has its compensation and each pain 
its healing. In this case and at this time there 
is compensation and comfort in the promise: “ I 
will send you another Comforter.” “Ye shall 
receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come 
upon you.” 

The fitness of this promise appears, too, when 
we consider their immediate need, and the use to 
be made of the power. Already He had said: 
“ Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst 
of wolves.” (Matt. 10:16.) Go your ways: 
behold I send you as lambs among wolves.” 
(Luke 10:13.) “They shall put you out of 
the synagogues; yea, the time cometh; that 
whosoever killeth you will think that he 
doeth God service.” (Jno. 16:2.) In Paul’s 
address before Agrippa (Acts 26:9-11), the 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

testimony is given that, before his conversion, he 
had treated the followers of Christ just in this 
very way. Without this promised power the 
followers of Christ never could have endured 
such treatment. This alone enabled Stephen 
to hold out, even unto death. Nor could Paul 
himself have stood before the king and made 
this address, but for this power. This it was 
that tuned the voice and filled the prison with 
midnight melody by two despised men, beaten 
with many stripes and fastened in the stocks of 
the inner prison. What a surprise it must have 
been to the other prisoners to hear these songs 
from the abused men, instead of railing and 
cursing, — the usual “pastime” of prisoners! 
How could they account for it? Men torn and 
bleeding, thrust into the inner prison, fastened 
in the stocks, and yet singing! And that at mid- 
night! Surely “ much ” crime has made them 
“ mad.” No, not that. They have a power just 
at hand; a power appropriate to just such cir- 
cumstances. 

This promise is pertinent and, 

OFFICIAL. 

Our Lord says: “Ye shall receive power,” 
not “I hope you may,” nor “It would be good if 
you could”; but — “ Ye shall receive power” 
Before this, He had assured them, “ If I depart 
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Power and Promise 


I will send Him unto you.” (Jno. 16:7.) And 
again, “When the Comforter is come, whom I 
will send unto you from the Father, even the 
Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the 
Father.” (Jno. 15:26.) Christ, in making this 
promise, acts as spokesman for the Godhead. 
He is the Word of God. (Jno. 1:1.) “The 
Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” 
(Jno. 1: 14.) “Now,” He says, “I go My way 
to Him that sent Me.” (Jno. 16:5.) His part 
of the work on earth is done. He sends “another” 
from the Father. The Father, too, “will send” 
Him “in My name.” (Jno. 14:26.) These 
facts show at once that the promise of power is 
official. Early in His ministry the Master veri- 
fies the fact that the Father had promised His 
Spirit by the prophet. When in the synagogue 
He read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,” 
He testified, “This day is this Scripture ful- 
filled in your ears.” (Luke 4:18-21.) Here 
we meet the triune God. The Father and the 
Son send the Holy Spirit. And to put it in a 
brief Scripture, “The Holy Ghost whom the 
Father w T ill send in My name.” (Jno. 14: 26.) 

The disciples were told by our Lord not to 
depart from J erusalem but wait for the promise 
of the Father. (Acts 1:4.) They did wait, and 
the promise came, and they were all filled with 
the Holy Ghost. This assures them of the real- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

ity of the promise, and that Christ had received 
the promise of the Father. Then Peter, the 
spokesman for the disciples, immediately in- 
forms the Jews that “ Jesns being by the right 
hand of God exalted and having received of the 
Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath 
shed forth this which we now see and hear.” 
(Acts 2: 33.) And now Peter, assures all who 
shall “repent and be baptized in the name of 
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins ” that they 
“shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” 
(Acts 2: 38.) 

This promise does not rest on the word of a 
private, unofficial person, it is not “hearsay,” 
not an unauthorized rumor. It comes to us from 
headquarters, with the official stamp of the God- 
head “whom the Father will send in My name,” 
(Jno. 14:26), and restamped with the apos- 
tolic seal when Peter asserts that, “This is that 
which was spoken by the prophet Joel — I will 
pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.” (Acts 2: 17, 
18.) And in the next breath he makes re- 
sponse to the question; “ What shall we do? ” 
in that albembracing, reassuring combination 
of precept and promise; “Repent and be bap- 
tized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall re- 
ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the 
promise is unto you and to your children, and to 
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Power and Promise 


all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord 
our God shall call.” (Acts 2: 38, 39.) Reader, 
have you any doubt as to the authority of this 
promise? Then fall upon your knees and ask 
God to open your eyes to see that no man ever 
did, or, ever can speak as He who says: “Ye 
shall receive power.” 

Note, also, that this is a 

WISE PROMISE. 

This is not true of every official promise. 
Herod made a promise, and sealed it with an 
oath, but the folly of his promise was keenly 
felt when he heard the demand: “Give me 
here John Baptist’s head in a charger.” (Matt. 
14:8.) But the wisdom of this powerpromise 
appears in that it cannot be abused. 

The power is its own safe guard. It can be 
used only when the possessor is actuated by 
right motives, and regulated by the will and 
principles of the Promiser. One cannot, if he 
would, use the power for self, nor in any way 
contrary to the will of the Master. The Spirit 
of God will rest in power only upon those who 
do His will. 

The nature of the power vindicates the wis- 
dom of the promise. Had the power been phys- 
ical, the possessor might have misused it, or it 
could have been abused by the enemy as was 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

that of Samson. Had it been the power of or- 
ganization, or wealth, or education, or religious 
reputation, the recipients of the promise would 
have been limited, necessarily, by their environ- 
ments, but the promised power comes with the 
Holy Ghost, and remains only while He remains. 

Nor can this power be overcome by violence. 
Physical strength can be met and overcome by 
physical strength, but the prince of the power 
of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the 
children of disobedience, was overcome by Him 
who was “led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” 
So still, His true followers can and will over- 
come by the same Spirit. Organization may be 
broken, wealth stolen, education met with edu- 
cation otherwise disposed, reputation blasted, 
but the man who possesses spiritual power can- 
not be robbed. Stephen is beset by enemies; 
but the more destructive they become the more 
power he obtains, until he can say: “Lord, lay 
not this sin to their charge.” 

The wisdom of the promise is also seen in 
that whether weak or strong; alone or in organ- 
ization; poor or wealthy; unlearned or educated; 
with or without a reputation, the true follower 
of the meek and lowly Jesus, who meets the 
conditions, can be a recipient and possessor of 
this power. The pertinency of this promise, 
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Power and Promise 


both as to time and use, is conclusive evidence 
of its wisdom. 

Had the disciples been consulted, they would 
have had the “ kingdom restored ” with its 
temporal and material power, but in His wisdom 
the departing Lord promises them real “ power,” 
the power of the Spirit. What wiser offer 
could have been made? Neither physical 
power arising from great numbers, nor organi- 
zation, nor wealth, nor education, nor religious 
reputation, nor even all of these combined, 
could have compared with this promised power 
in planning, and operating efficiently, and in 
rewarding these disciples and the entire church 
since. To do this there must be the pres- 
ence and power of the Spirit. This explains 
that perplexing statement: “ It is expedient for 
you that I go away, for if I go not away the Com- 
forter will not come unto you, but if I depart 
I will send Him unto you.” A comforter or ad- 
vocate is one who gives help. When other 
things fail the Comforter is at hand with just 
the needed help. 

Are we in danger? He warns. Are we in 
darkness? He guides. Are we in ignorance? 
He instructs. Are we in want? He supplies. 
Are we in weakness? He strengthens. Such is 
the help^power of the Holy Spirit. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 
And note again that this is an 

EXTRAORDINARY PROMISE. 

It is extraordinary in its announcement. 
The great promise of the Old Testament was 
Christ. Him the Father declared, saying: “I 
will raise them up a prophet from among their 
brethren.” (Deut. 18: 18.) The promise of the 
Holy Spirit is given by both Father and Son. 
“I will send Him unto you,” says the Son. And 
again, “Whom the Father will send in My 
name.” Again, the arrival of Christ on the 
earth was announced by angels and a star. The 
latter belongs to another kingdom than that to 
which we belong. The former belongs to another 
order of beings, but when the promised Holy 
Spirit comes to the earth, His arrival is an- 
nounced, and He is introduced, not by a star in 
the distant, material heavens, not by angeb 
beings of another order, which depart after a 
hasty visit, but by “ cloven tongues ” and “ other 
tongues.” The tongue — the gift of speech — is 
the distinguishing feature, of man, and while 
there is a normal man on the earth there will be 
speech, and so long as there are men on the 
earth the Holy Spirit will be here, for the prom- 
ise reads: “ He shall give you another Com- 
forter that He may abide with you forever.” Is 
it not significant that this peculiar and abiding 
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Power and Promise 


symbol of speech is used in both a visible and 
audible way to introduce this peculiar and abid- 
ing gift from the Godhead? 

It is an extraordinary announcement, not only 
as to the arrival of the Spirit but as to His 
work. Man is largely characterized by his 
speech. “Out of the fulness of the heart the 
mouth speaketh.” And as a man “ thinketh in 
his heart so is he.” “Thy speech betrayeth 
thee” has a deeper significance than mere dialect 
or brogue. A spoken or written word is not the 
limit of speech. The movements and location 
of the body speak — though silently, yet distinct- 
ly. The speech is that which in general tells 
what a man is, and where he is; why he is what 
he is, and why he is where he is. When Peter 
“sat without in the palace” his words, his 
actions, and his location all told that he was a 
coward, and that he was trying to conceal his 
relation to his Lord. But when Peter appears 
before the multitude on the day of Pentecost 
his words and actions and location all testify 
that he is a different man, and that he is where 
he is for a very different purpose than to deny 
his Lord. Here is the initiatory evidence of 
the work of the Spirit. He came to use men as 
witnesses of “ these things ” of which He Him- 
self is witness. (Acts 5:32.) These tongues, 
this faculty of speech, whether by word, action, 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

or character, are the witness bearing agencies, 
and with these the Holy Ghost has to do. The 
speech may be by word of month or pen; by 
check or coin for missions; by anxiety and effort 
for the unsaved; or by the silent, unassuming, 
Christlike character, the living epistle; never- 
theless, it is the man’s speech. The tongue is 
servant of the body, of the heart, of the af- 
fections, of the mind, of the intellect, and of the 
soul. 

The arrival of the Holy Spirit being an- 
nounced by the symbol of the tongue has a 
wondrous significance. The star and angels 
which announce the birth of our Lord suggest 
His special and brief work on the earth, while 
the “ tongue of fire,” symbol of the Holy 
Spirit’s arrival, is suggestive of the permanent 
work of Christ on the earth by the Holy 
Spirit. 

The extraordinary nature of this promise 
appears again in the intensive and extensive 
application to man. His whole being — body 
and heart, soul and mind — is endued by the 
power of the Spirit for the Lord’s service in 
which the tongue, the gift of speech, is the all 
important instrument. 

This promise is not only extraordinary in its 
announcement but also in the effects which its 
fulfilment produces. While Christ was on the 
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Power and Promise 


earth, He did many mighty works : He was the 
source of great comfort and strength to His 
followers. But, “He that believeth on Me, the 
works that I do shall he do also; and greater 
than these shall he do, because I go to My 
Father .” There must be some extraordinary 
change to take place in the believers after 
Christ goes to the Father. That word, “be- 
cause I go to My Father” is very suggestive of 
another saying: “The Holy Ghost was not yet 
given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.” 
( Jno. 7:39) Is not this the explanation? When 
Christ goes to the Father the Holy Spirit will 
be given and then “ the works that I do 
and greater” shall be done. Christ exalted, 
by the power of His Spirit, can do greater 
works through His followers than He Him- 
self did while in the flesh. Matthew Henry 
noted that, “Christ had healed with the hem 
of His garment, but Peter by his shadow, and 
Paul by the handkerchief that had touched 
him.” 

The very fact that Christ by the Holy Spirit 
can use these frail, earthly beings to conquer 
the world and bring men out of the bondage of 
sin is a greater work than He Himself did by 
His wonder-working miracle. His wonder^doings 
were of brief duration, but the “ greater work ” 
is continuing through the ages and extending 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

“ among all nations.” In this we see that the 
ordinary are the most extraordinary features of 
this promised power. When we read that the 
sun stood still upon Gibeon and the moon in the 
valley of Ajalon we are amazed, but the still 
greater wonder that they continue all these 
centuries in their regular courses, each doing 
its peculiar work, fails to elicit any surprise. 
In like manner the multitude were “ confound- 
ed,” “ amazed,” and marveled when they heard 
the early Christians speaking with “ other 
tongues.” In this day we marvel at the miracles 
and great works of the disciples by the power of 
the Spirit. But we do not realize the extra- 
ordinary nature of that power exhibited in the 
lives of spiritual men. Peter says (1 Pet. 4:4) 
that the Gentiles thought “ it strange ” that the 
Christians did not “ run with them to the same 
excess of riot.” Yet we do not appreciate the 
marvelous nature of the Spirit’s ordinary work 
in a human life of sobriety, purity, self=sacrifice 
and unceasing, efficient labor for Christ and His 
church. 

Do we realize the remarkable nature of the ordi- 
nary operations of this power in the individual 
and the church ? It is a perpetual power, — “ That 
He may abide with you forever.” (Jno. 14: 16.) 
It is an unlimited power, — “ All things are 
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Power and Promise 


possible to him that believeth.” (Mark 9: 23.) 
These facts have been exemplified in the lives 
and works of men such as Paul and Philip, Carey 
and Taylor, and thousands of others who have 
lived and labored from Peter to Paton. 

Once more we note that this is a 

RELIABLE PROMISE. 

In establishing the reliability of a promise 
there are two things to be considered, viz: — 
the sincerity and the ability of the promiser. 
As to our Lord’s sincerity there need be no 
doubt. We have only to hear His own words: 
“I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you 
that I go away; for if I go not away, the Com- 
forter will not come unto you ; but if I depart I 
will send Him unto you.” ( Jno. 16:7.) He is 
sincere in the promise — I tell you the truth. 
He Himself is divine and cannot lie, yet He 
emphasizes this promise that its gravity may be 
recognized and the certainty of its fulfilment 
may be doubly certain. And long ago it was 
declared: “ God is not a man that He should 
lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. 
Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Hath He 
spoken and shall He not make it good?” (Num. 
23:19.) As to the ability of the promiser there'* 
is no less certainty. There can be no conflict- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

ing authority. Already it has been noted that 
the promise is official. It has not only the 
word of the Savior supporting it, but bears the 
very stamp of the Godhead. Hence there need 
be no fear of the authorities reconsidering the 
matter and recalling the promise of power. 

Are you still in doubt as to His ability? Let 
Him speak for Himself: — “All power is given 
unto Me in heaven and in earth.” (Matt. 28: 
18.) “ Yes, He has the power,” you say, “ but that 
was vouchsafed only to the early disciples.” 
Hear again: “ Lo I am with you always, even 
unto the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20.) 
“But,” says one, “that is for special occasions; 
we can not expect it in every day life.” Listen, 
the promise is sure: “I will never leave thee 
nor forsake thee.” “ The Lord is my helper 
and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” 
( Heb. 13 : 5, 6 . ) Another asks : — How can He be 
with me always and be my helper? By the Holy 
Spirit. Take as your own the promise of our 
text: “Ye shall receive power after that the 
Holy Ghost is come upon you.” He is the 
“ other Comforter ” who shall “ abide with you 
forever.” 

Thus this promised power is sufficient for 
every occasion and for all time. It is, therefore, 
a promise that is pertinent — just suiting us as 


Power and Promise 


to time and need; that is official — it comes from 
the very Godhead; that is wise — nothing better 
could have been promised; that is extraordinary 
— no promise equal to it; that is reliable — the 
Promiser is able and sincere. Like all the prom- 
ises of God in Jesus Christ, this one is yea and 
amen “ unto the glory of God.” 


93 


RECEPTION OF POWER. 

“ Ye shall receive power.” — Acts i : 8. 


In the last chapter we presented the “ God- 
ward side ” in answer to the question: “ How is 
spiritual power obtained?” Looking Godward 
we find that it comes by promise. And this 
promise is pertinent, official, wise, extraordinary 
and reliable. 

Looking manward we learn that in order to 
secure this power certain conditions must be 
met. In considering these the word “ Power ” 
will again outline our thoughts. 

First, there is the condition of 
PRAYER. 

Among the many promises the Father makes 
in connection with prayer, the Holy Ghost is 
especially mentioned. Our Lord says: “If ye 
then being evil know how to give good gifts to 
your children, how much more shall your heav- 
enly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask 
Him.” (Luke 11: 13.) One apostle tells of the 
“good things” that are the fruit of prayer, and 
this evangelist presents the Holy Spirit as the 
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Power and Promise 


sum-total. Every other good gift is simply a 
part of the whole. That Christian or congrega- 
tion that asks for the Holy Spirit, and asks 
aright, will receive the answer and all that is im- 
plied. In Him all good things are bound up, 
for He is the promise of the Father. He comes 
to take the place of the personal or bodily pres- 
ence of our Lord. Christ Himself taught that 
it was expedient for Him to go away, that 
the Father and He might send the Holy Ghost 
in His name. He also teaches that the Father 
is willing, and at the same time able, to give the 
Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. In this, as 
in the requests of earthly children, the asking 
not only indicates but increases desire. Par- 
ents are not likely to thrust undesired gifts upon 
their children. They like to have the desire 
of the child expressd and developed by asking. 
We wonder why God has not given us power for 
life and His service as He has done others, and 
yet, we have never asked Him to do so, or if we 
have, our asking has been amiss. It has been 
only in form. 

The teaching we receive from the word, a3 
well as that which comes from those who have 
asked and received, is that the asking must be 
in sincerity. It comes from a heartdonging for 
more than a mere Christan existence, and readi- 
ness to sacrifice other desires for this one thing. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

We do not always know what we ask. It may 
be that this asking implies what the world calls 
a great calamity. Nevertheless, if we ask we 
shall receive, though it cost us the “ right eye ” 
or “the right hand.” 

Mr. Murray tells of a woman in Africa, who, 
on hearing an earnest consecration sermon, was 
much greived when at the close of the service 
the preacher asked how many were willing to 
give up everything for Christ. “ If Christ,” he 
says, “should demand that your husband be sent 
to China, or your little child to America, are you 
willing to submit? ” After a long and vigorous 
struggle, she consented, but on her way home, 
and until midnight, the worried and perplexed 
woman prayed to God that He would give her 
that fulness of the Spirit, and that nearness to 
the Master, that she could cheerfully yield up 
all to Christ. At once the light came, and she 
was filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, 
and, from that time on, all her energies and pro- 
perty and family were held in trust for the serv- 
ice of the Lord. 

Concerning this as well as minor gifts, the 
testimony of scripture and Christians is: “ Ask 
and it shall be given you.” (Luke 11: 9.) When 
the apostles heard that Samaria had received the 
word, at the mouth of Philip, they sent unto them 
Peter and John, who prayed for them that they 
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Power and Promise 


might receive the Holy Ghost. Their prayer was 
answered. (Acts 8: 15-17.) The apostles knew 
full well that this blessing comes by prayer. 
At the very time when this promise, “Ye 
shall receive power,” was first fulfilled to them, 
they were, and had been for ten days, united in 
prayer. (Acts 1: 14.) Peter and John being 
commanded to preach no more in that “ name” 
prayed , and they were all filled with the Holy 
Ghost, and they spake the word of God with 
boldness. Let us not expect the shaking of the 
earth, or the rushing mighty wind, or the clo- 
ven tongues as of fire — we no longer need such 
testimony; but let us ask for the Spirit, assured 
that, as silently as the moonlight steals over the 
eastern mountain, and noiselessly, it may be, as 
the sunlight falls upon the face of the earth, the 
Spirit of power comes into the soul. If we ask, 
He will give. He has promised. Have we ac- 
tually prayed? He is willing and able to give; 
He knows how. If we, being evil, know how to 
give good gifts to our children, how much more 
will He give the Holy Spirit to them that ask 
Him. “ Oh wondrous power of faithful prayer! 
what tongue can tell the mighty grace!” 

A second condition to be met is 

OBEDIENCE. 

Spiritual power is obtained by prayer, but it 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

must be the prayer of obedience. The testi- 
mony of Peter and the other apostles is that the 
Holy Ghost is given to them that obey God. 
(Acts 5: 37.) Here is where so many of us have 
been skeptical concerning prayer for the power 
of the Holy Spirit. No doubt many a reader 
has thought while reading of the importance of 
prayer for this power, that he has many a time 
prayed for it, but in vain. Others may have 
resolved for the first time that they would pray 
for this promised power. With the first, the 
lack of obedience was the reason of failure. 
With the second, obedience will be the secret of 
success. The element of obedience to the will 
of God and the laws of the spiritual kingdom 
is an important — an indispensable — factor in the 
pursuit of this power. The supreme law of the 
kingdom is obedience to God. “We ought to 
obey God rather than men ” is the motto of the 
Christian. Obedience is the royal road to 
power. 

When Christ said, “ Follow Me,” He meant 
more than the mere physical act of going with 
Him. To follow Him is to strive to be like Him 
and to do as He would do. This the apostle 
enjoins. “ As He which hath called you is holy, 
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.” 
Holiness is necessary to follow Christ. “ With- 
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Power and Promise 


out holiness no man shall see the Lord.” If a 
man cannot see the Lord how can he follow 
Him? To follow Christ is not only to be like 
Him but to do as He would do. “ My meat,” He 
says, “ is to do the will of Him that sent Me.” 
And again, “ I do always those things that 
please Him.” Hence to follow Christ is to be 
Christlike in character — “holy” in conduct , — 
“ do those things that please Him,” in conversa- 
tion — “ be holy in all manner of conversation.” 
It is to keep His commandments; to imitate 
Him in His life of obedience and sacrifice. 

This law of sacrifice the Master enjoins upon 
us, not only by example but by direct teaching. 
“ If any man will come after Me let him deny 
himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” 
(Matt. 16:24.) “Follow Me ” is a synonym for 
sacrifice. To Simon and Andrew, James and 
John, it meant the sacrifice of their business. 
Levi left an office — a “government position” — 
in obedience to the voice, “ Follow Me.” An- 
other young man did not follow Christ because 
his “ great possessions ” were too much to be 
sacrificed. This was a very respectable young 
man, too. Another welbmeaning man fully in- 
tended to follow Christ, but his pity and con- 
cern for his aged father hindered. He must 
bury him first. A man with good intentions 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

wants first to bid “farewell” to those in his 
house. But such excuses are not agreeable to 
the Master. 

In these cases it appears that obedience to 
the voice, “ Follow Me,” means the sacrifice of 
business, of “ position,” of riches, of human 
sympathy, and of social relations, when these 
interfere with our Christian duty. “ These 
cases,” you say, “apply to sinners yet in the 
world.” Yes, truly so, but equally as well and 
with a double significance to saints already in 
the church. When Christ says, “ Follow Me,” 
He means to the full extent of obedience — for 
service as well as salvation. 

Why limit the laws of obedience to a half or 
even to nine- tenths of their meaning? Is Christ 
pleased with partial obedience? Is He who 
sacrificed everything for us satisfied with any- 
thing less than a self-forgetting, self-sacrificing 
service? “No man having put his hand to the 
plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom 
[/ of God.” (Luke 9:62.) To obey Christ is to 
follow Him as did Peter and Andrew and Levi, 
“straightway” leaving “all.” Not even con- 
cerning ourselves about the affairs and conduct 
of others. “What is that to thee?” “Follow 
thou Me.” (Jno. 21:22.) To obey Christ is to 
follow Him as the sheep follow the “ good shep- 
herd.” They look to him for food, for protec- 
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Power and Promise 


tion, for guidance. They hear his voice and 
follow him. They look to him for everything. 
At his will they live and move. Both the flock 
and the fleece are at his disposal. This is some- 
thing of what Christ means by “Follow Me.” 
“ Obey Me by submitting your life and service 
to Me.” To obey Him as He obeyed His 
Father in heaven. 

This means loyalty to Him and His church; 
love to God and to man; and selbsacrificing 
labor for the interests of the kingdom. That 
Christian who is at times ashamed of Christ and 
of His gospel, or who does not love the Lord 
with all his heart and soul and strength and 
mind, and his neighbor as himself, and who is 
not willing to spend and be spent for the sake 
of the gospel, is in no position or condition to 
have his prayer for power answered. “ If ye 
abide in Me and My words abide in you, ye shall 
ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.” 
(Jno. 15:7.) The prayer must come from the 
submissive, Christlike life. “ If ye love Me ye 
will keep My commandments.” “ I will pray the 
Father, and He shall give you another Com- 
forter, even the Spirit of truth. (Jno. 14:16, 
17.) The mere act of prayer without obedience 
will avail nothing in the search for power. The 
prayer that avails is that of the righteous man, 
the man who is right towards God and 
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man, and this is the man who abides in Christ 
and in whom the words of Christ abide. 

At times we are willing to submit to God in 
everything, in order to have His Spirit; but note 
that it is the abiding, the keeping of My com- 
mandments, that brings us the abiding Spirit. 
To secure His abiding favor we must always do 
the things that please Him. The Spirit is not 
a servant to come and go at our bidding, to be 
present with us at the church, and absent from 
our daily life. He will not come to our rescue 
for special services, or a series of meetings, if we 
persist in thinking our own thoughts and walk- 
ing in our own ways. 

To have the Holy Ghost with us during the 
whole time — God abiding with us — we must lead 
obedient lives. Of course we are not open, 
flagrant transgressors of the law; but obedience 
to God is more than eye-service, or men-pleas- 
ers. It means more than obedience to the letter 
of the law. 

The rich young ruler had kept all the com- 
mandments from his youth, and was not even in 
possession of eternal life. There is such a thing 
as a mere Christian life, but to have power with 
God, and power with man, there must be also 
that higher, loving obedience to the spirit and 
letter of the law as well as to the laws of the 
Spirit. The man whom God blesses is the one 


Power and Promise 


whose spirit has no guile. It is the Christian, 
who in public and private, in worship and work, 
continually breathes the prayer of submission — 
“ Thy will; not mine.’’ 

A life of obedience is one of loyalty, love, and 
labor. That this promised power for which we 
all long and pray may be ours, let us see to it, 
that we are loyal to the Master. Not simply 
members of the church by profession , but mem- 
bers by faith and possession. Honestly living 
up to the known requirements of the Word, and 
seeking to please God by a life wholly submis- 
sive to the will of God, faithfully witnessing 
for Christ in our daily lives, and compelling men 
to say, “ That one is a follower of the meek and 
lowly Jesus.” 

Also let us see to it that love for God and 
man holds a chief place in our hearts. Putting 
away from us all bitterness and wrath and anger 
and clamor and evibspeaking, with all malice, 
being kind to one another, tender hearted, for- 
giving one another, even as God for Christ’s 
sake hath forgiven us. (Eph. 4: 31, 32.) No 
Christian need look for this promised power 
until he is willing to pray sincerely: “Forgive 
us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” How 
many churches are idly praying for this power 
because they are disobeying the law of love! 
How often Christians stand up and pray, “ Pour 
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out Thy Spirit,” and at the same time they are 
harboring and cherishing bitterness and wrath 
and anger? All these centuries the Spirit has 
been “ poured out ” and “ pouring out,” but our 
hearts are closed and filled with bitterness and 
wrath and anger and malice. Let us obey the 
command, “ Be filled with the Spirit,” and these 
shall have no place within us. 

Even more, let us labor for Christ, doing 
whatever our hands find to do. This is the path 
of obedience. “ I have chosen you and ordained 
you that ye should go and bring forth fruity 
“ Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear 
much fruity (John 15: 8, 16.) 

Oh, if we could only do away with that preva- 
lent notion that to be a Christian means nothing 
more than being a member of the church, and 
keeping within the bounds of the law, being 
in “ good standing;” if we could substitute for 
that staple question of selfish fear: “Do you 
think it wrong to do this?” that other ques- 
tion of love and loyalty, “ Is this the most be- 
coming and useful thing I can do?”; if we 
could overcome this life of slavish fear and 
negative obedience, and be thoroughly con- 
vinced that to be a Christian and to be filled 
with the Spirit of God involves a life of strict 
obedience to the will of Christ himself, then 
would our prayers for this power avail much. 

1<H 




/ 


Power and Promise 

A third condition to obtaining this power is 
WAITING. 

Scripture instructs us to wait for the baptism 
of the Spirit of God. As authority, read: 
“ Tarry ye here in Jerusalem until ye be en- 
dued with power from on high.” (Luke 24: 
49.) “Depart not, but wait for the promise of 
the Father.” (Acts 1:4.) Until Pentecost was 
fully come the disciples must wait. God has 
His time for everything. He could not send 
His Son into the world until the “fulness of 
time.” “All things are now ready,” is the 
motto of the kingdom. Order, which is another 
term for “readiness,” and the “ fulness of 
time ,” is heaven’s first law. Christ does not 
come to earth until the world is prepared. 
When He appears, it is under one rule — Eome; 
one language — Greek; and the philosophy and 
religion of heathendom are decaying. Then 
was the fulness of time. Nor is the invitation 
given to the great gospel feast until all things 
are “ ready.” The word, let us make man, is not 
spoken until the earth is prepared by heat, and 
moisture, and vegetation. So here in the be- 
ginning of the Christian church comes the 
word, “ Depart not from Jerusalem, but wait for 
the promise of the Father.” “ Tarry ye in the 
city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

from on high.” The power from on high could 
not be given until “ Jesus was glorified.” 

The Spirit is to come as the only witness that 
the Master has been glorified. His coming is 
reserved for that very purpose. It has been 
noted that the “birth of our Savior has been 
announced by angels, His baptism with a voice 
from heaven; His miracles were witnessed by 
thousands, also His death, His burial, His resur- 
rection, and ascension. But when He is re- 
ceived by the cloud, there is no further evidence 
that He is received and glorified by the Father, 
except the coming of the Holy Spirit prede- 
signed for that purpose.” It was necessary for 
them to wait for the Holy Spirit — the promise 
of the Father. This Christ Himself had told 
them. This would convince them that He was 
indeed the Christ, that He was all He professed 
to be. They, as well as the world, would be con- 
vinced of righteousness. 

It was necessary for the disciples to wait until 
they themselves were ready to glorify and exalt 
Christ in their hearts; to wait and reflect on 
their former failures, their doubts and unbelief, 
their quarrels about the chief places, and their 
forsaking and denying the Lord. They must 
wait until convinced that Jesus is indeed the 
Christ and that He whom the Jews slew and 
hanged on the tree is exalted by the right hand 
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Power and Promise 


of God. They must wait until they realize the 
vastness of the work, the difficulties to be met, 
and their own inability. They must depart not, 
but wait and tarry here at the city of Jerusa- 
lem — the scene of trial and persecution — until 
the spirit of pride and self-dependence is com- 
pletely submerged into the sovereign will of 
their departed Lord, until their uppermost 
thought shall be, “ Without Me ye can do noth- 
ing.” 

While the command “ Go ye ” is still ringing 
in their ears, there comes another equally im- 
perative and pertinent: “ Depart not, but wait,” 
“ Tarry ye ” — a paradox. 

The dangers in Jerusalem seem to be increas- 
ing, the enemies of the new religion are becom- 
ing more numerous and strong; hate and cruelty 
are everywhere staring them in the face, but the 
words, tarry, wait, have been spoken. But their 
waiting is to end. Tarry ye in the city of Jeru- 
salem, (not until death), until ye be endued 
with power from on high, for I send the promise 
of My Father upon you. This promise came. 
They did receive power from on high. Jesus 
was “ glorified ” and the Holy Spirit was given. 
The day of Pentecost was fully come. God’s 
appointed time was at hand, and the Holy Spirit 
came to “ abide forever.” Then their waiting 
for Him came to an end. And so all these cen- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

turies the Spirit has been in the world and the 
church; now is the accepted time. When Peter 
and John prayed for the Samaritans they im- 
mediately received the Holy Ghost. (Acts 8:17.) 
Paul did not wait but was at once filled with 
the Holy Ghost. 

It is the will of God that all who ask Him 
and obey Him shall receive His Spirit. If we 
must wait for baptism of the Holy Spirit it is 
because we are not willing and obedient, we are 
not fullfilling the required conditions. It is 
true that he who clings to any known sin, or has 
not submitted his will to God, and is not willing 
to be what God wants him to be, and to do what 
God wants him to do, must wait. Likewise he, 
too, who does not desire the fulness of the Spirit 
above everything else, and who does not feel and 
know his need of more power, must wait. This 
is God’s plan of fitting us for His use. A knowl- 
edge of our weakness, of the enemy’s strength, 
and of God’s power, is necessary to make ready 
for the promise of the Father. To be ready for 
this power is to realize, “ Except the Lord do 
build the house the builders lose their pain, ex- 
cept the Lord the city keep the watchmen watch 
in vain.” But with a sense of our dependence 
on God, and a willingness to submit to Him in 
everything we can just now receive the promised 
power. 


Power and Promise 


The “ fulness of the time ” for giving His 
Spirit to the church, as a body, came at Pente- 
cost, and now God’s time for the individual and 
the congregation is their time ; whenever they 
are ready He is ready. Are you ready now to 
begin a life of obedience — ready to live in the 
spirit of definite prayer for this promise? If 
so, you need wait no longer, God is more willing 
to give His Holy Spirit to them that ask Him 
than earthly parents are to give good gifts to 
their children. As you wait and pray for the 
fulness of the Spirit remember that the waiting 
is only necessary because you are not fully sur- 
rendered to His will. 

Another condition is 

EXPECTATION. 

The disciples all “ continued ” with one ac- 
cord in prayer and supplication. (Actsl: 14.) 
They continued in prayer, they expected to 
receive the promise. With “ one accord ” they 
continued — not one of them doubted. There 
was no dispute or discussion among them as to 
whether the promise would be realized. They 
expected just the thing for which the Master 
commanded them to wait. They give place to no 
other interest, no, not for a moment. This is 
waiting with prayer and expectation. No one 
would so wait and pray who did not really desire 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

and expect the answer. David declares: “ I will 
direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up” 
He expects the Lord to answer. Or as Matthew 
Henry puts it for the psalmist: “I will look 
after my prayers, and hear what God the Lord 
will speak, that, if He grant what I asked, I may 
be thankful; if He deny, I may be patient; if He 
defer I may continue to pray and wait, and may 
not faint,” and as the “ lame man looked stead- 
fastly on Peter and John,” he observes, “so may 
we, thus praying and waiting, expect that God 
will give ear to our words and consider them.” 

Here is more than expectation; it is hope. 
Not only do we expect, but we desire, the fulness 
of the Spirit. We hope for it, and hope that is 
seen, is not hope, for what a man seeth, why 
doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that 
we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 
Such is to be the nature of our attitude while 
in quest of this. We are to hope for it, to 
desire it, to expect it. Many things we expect, 
which we do not desire. Many things we de- 
sire which we do not expect. Full oft is it so 
in our prayers. The answer would be a sur- 
prise to us. When Peter appeared at the gate, 
those who prayed for him were surprised to see 
him, and would not believe that it was he. 

Yes, pray for the promise of the Father, but 
pray expectingly. God has promised, and He 


no 


Power and Promise 


is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of 
man that He should repent. Desire and expec- 
tation are necessary to secure this power, but 
the desire must conform to the will of God. If 
your desire is to secure the blessing for pur- 
poses agreeable to yourself, God’s desire will be 
to give you the blessing, if at all, for something 
else. You prefer to have power as a great 
teacher or evangelist but God wants you for a 
humble service. 

In his excellent book, “ Received ye the Holy 
Ghost?” in answer to the question, “How may 
I receive Him”? Dr. Chapman says: “One of 
the most important steps with which I am 
familiar is this: do not seek to know Him, first 
of all, that you may teach or preach with power. 
This is not the way to the blessing. Again, do 
not seek to know that you may have the peace of 
which others have spoken, who have known 
Him in all His fulness. This is not the first 
step. But rather, bid Him abide in you, that, 
first of all He may have power over yourself 

The promise is ours. Certainly we have the 
desire. Let us see that the desire conforms to 
the will of the Father and we may be assured of 
the blessing. The Master Himself said: “It 
is expedient for you that I go away, if I depart 
I will send Him (the Holy Ghost) unto you. 
(John 16:7.) Peter said: “The promise is 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

unto you and to your children.” (Acts 2: 39.) 
The record tells us that Peter and John prayed, 
and the Holy Ghost came on the Samaritans. 
Paul came to Ephesus and found certain disci- 
ples who received the Holy Ghost at his hands. 
Why not expect to receive this power — this 
baptism of the Spirit of God? We know that 
it is the will of the Father that we should. 
John says: “ This is the confidence we have in 
Him that if we ask anything according to His 
will He heareth us, and if we know that He 
heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we 
have the petitions that we desired of Him.” 
( Jno. 5: 14, 15.) , Also we are told: “ All things 
whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye 
have received them, and ye shall have them.” 
(Mark 11:24.) 

The fact that this promise was received by 
the early church, and that we have witnessed 
this power in others in recent years, should 
lead us to expect the fulness of the Spirit our- 
selves. We are too prone to think that there are 
no more Pentecosts. We get reports of revivals 
through denominational lines, and consequent- 
ly only a part of the Spirit’s work in one com- 
munity. Were the conditions similar to that 
of Pentecost, the reports would be different. An 
eminent evangelist asserts that the gospel has 
done more wonderful things in recent years than 
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Power and Promise 


it ever did in the days of Pentecost. “ A little 
while ago,” he says, “ I went into a little town 
of 20,000 inhabitants, and they stated to me 
that, seven years before, 2,000 were converted 
to God at one time. I also know of another in- 
stance where in a town with a population of 
6,000 there were 1,500 confessed Christ at one 
time. On one occasion, at a meeting in a small 
town of 1,200 inhabitants, in New York state, 
300 persons rose to their feet and said they 
would commence the Christian life. A short 
time ago, in an Indiana town, there were 500 
additions to a little church in one day.” 

“In 1880 the number of communicants in 
the United States was nine and a quarter 
millions. In ten years it increased to 13,158,- 
363, a gain of about four millions in ten 
years, or four hundred thousand in a year. 
That is to say we had the equivalent of more 
that one hundred days of Pentecost in each 
year of the decade. Under John Knox and his 
brethren, the church of Scotland seemed to be 
born anew by the Holy Spirit. It is reported 
that the whole general assembly of about four 
hundred ministers and elders, while renewing 
their solemn league and covenant, were swayed 
by the Spirit as a mighty rushing wind. In 
1630, under the teaching of Bruce and Living- 
ston, nearly 500 souls were converted in one day. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Livingston says that he has seen more than a 
thousand persons all at once, lifting up their 
hands, and the tears falling from their eyes.” 
(Kev. T. A. Horton in S. S. World.) 

Let us expect great things of God. Why 
long for the days of old? “Ye shall receive 
power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon 
you,” was not spoken of a single day. For, as has 
been verified, the promise is unto you and your 
children, and to all that are afar off, even to as 
many as the Lord our God shall call. Have you 
prayed for the Spirit of God and failed to re- 
ceive, then pray and expect the answer. God 
means us to have this fulness of the Spirit just 
as truly as He means us not to be drunken with 
wine. “ Be not drunken with wine, but be ye 
filled with the Spirit.” (Eph. 5:18.) He means 
it or He would not command it. And why 
should we not expect it in our case? Not only 
does He command it but He assures us that: 
“ He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall 
flow rivers of living water.” This He spake of 
the Spirit which they that believe on Him shall 
receive. 

Once more, how get this power? 

RECEIVE IT. 

We have learned that this power is promised, 

and that a prayerful, obedient, expecting life is 
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Power and Promise 


necessary to the securing of it. But there is 
still another important step — simply receive. 
That is what our text says: “Ye shall receive.” 
(Acts 1:8.) In fact, we are commanded to 
receive. When our Lord commissioned His 
disciples, saying: “As My Father sent Me, even 
so I send you,” He breathed on them and said: 
“Keceive (or take) ye the Holy Ghost.” 
(Jno. 20:22.) Not buy the Holy Ghost, as 
poor Simon assayed to do; not get, but — receive. 
We need not say in the heart: “Who shall 
ascend up to heaven, or who shall descend into 
the deep?” No, there is no need of that, but 
receive the Holy Ghost, the promise of the 
Father, which, Christ, being exalted and being 
received, hath shed forth; — only receive. The 
word receive in itself implies a gift — something 
to be given, and to be taken. This accords with 
the word of Peter and the other apostles to the 
High Priest: “And so also is the Holy Ghost 
whom God hath given to them that obey Him.” 
(Acts 5:32.) The Spirit is a gift. A gift is to 
be received. 

There is no contradiction here to the necessity 
of paying the price of obedience and prayer, of 
diligently using the means of power already 
possessed. The presidency of the United States 
is a gift, yet the one who receives it does so at 
the expense of a great deal of anxiety and pre- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

paration. The reason we do not receive the 
power of the Spirit in a greater degree is that 
we fail to prepare for the Spirit. God cannot 
use us as we are, nor can we receive this special 
power until, by the use of provided and 
known means, preparation is made for the 
reception and use of promised power. 

In the early days of the gas wells in the south- 
western part of Pennsylvania many wells were 
sending forth great volumes of gas, furnishing 
an abundance of power and light, but to no pur- 
pose, for there had been no preparation for it. 
The necessary and known pipes had not been 
laid, nor were the proper appliances prepared. 
So also, when the three kings were distressed 
for want of water, and asked the intercession of 
Elisha, the word of the Lord was: “Make the 
valley full of ditches.” The Lord would provide 
the water, but the armies must dig the ditches. 
And when this was done there was no wind, 
they saw no rain, but the valley was full of water. 
So, too, when we provide the proper attitude, God 
will send the Spirit. No congregation, no 
Christian, can expect the times of refreshing to 
visit them unless the prescribed requirements 
are met. The ditches must be made. The 
widow must provide the vessels, and not a few. 
As the valley was filled with water, so the vessels 
with oil. Prayer, obedience, love, Bible study, 


Power and Promise 


spiritual mindedness, and liberality are some of 
the necessary ditches the church must make. 
The continuing of one accord, the being of one 
mind and one heart, are necessary. The one 
hundred twenty, not seventy- five of them, but 
all, were in the upper room. 

How many members in every congregation 
there are who never, or rarely ever, meet with 
the rest to pray for the special manifestation of 
the Spirit! What a hindrance they are to the 
church ! It was not a meaningless act when the 
army of Gideon was thinned out by sending 
home, first the cowards, and then those who 
were so indifferent, or so self-indulgent that they 
must get down on their hands and knees and 
drink to their satisfaction, regardless of the 
welfare of their country. 

There are so many church-members to=day 
afraid to work, and so many lovers of physical 
ease and pleasure, that it is impossible to get 
them all to meet and pray for the power of the 
Spirit. The most appropriate name for many 
of them would be “Thomas,” — “the absent.” 
They are at home asleep, or away visiting, or off 
up the miff- tree sulking because things have 
not turned out as they expected. And when the 
rest have actually “ seen the Lord,” and heard 
the blessed word, “ Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” 
these Thomases then come around with their 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

cold and unbelieving hearts, to suggest doubts, 
and toss cold water on the zeal of the others. 
The “ All in one place,” and the “ All of one 
accord,” are important features in a congrega- 
tion expecting to receive power To receive this 
power there must be union of heart and effort. 

\ These are some of the necessary means and 
conditions on which spiritual power is received. 
We can neither buy nor earn, and we must 
neither hinder nor resist, the Holy Spirit; but 
receive , as vessels do the God^given rain. It is 
our privilege, and our duty. Says one: “ What 
Christ gives we must receive. We must submit 
ourselves and our whole souls to the quickening, 
sanctifying influence of the blessed Spirit, 
receive His motions and comply with them, 
receive His powers and make use of them; 
and those who shall obey the word as a precept, 
shall have the benefit of it as a promise.” To 
us all, He says: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” 
The apostle says: “Be filled with the spirit.” 

Mr. Andrew Murray points out the truth — 
“We must.” To us all, he says, God com- 
mands: “Be filled”; we may; God promiseth: 
“ He that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall 
flow rivers of water.” Are we willing to obey 
God and received Are we willing also to receive 
and obey God? Or, as one put it so simply, 
“Are we willing to be made willing?” Do you 
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Power and Promise 


now actually desire this spiritual power, or are 
you content with water baptism? Who is not 
willing to pay the price of this baptism of the 
Spirit? Is the price too high? “ There is a fa- 
mous French maxim,” says one, “ which tells us 
that ‘ It is the first step that costs.’ It is a pity,” 
he says, “ that the proverb does not finish the 
thought,” and adds, “It is the last step that 
pays.” It costs much to be a Christian, but it 
pays most to be a spiritual Christian, full of 
power by the Spirit of the Lord. It costs pray- 
er and obedience. Every weight must be laid 
aside. Sins must be given up. Secret faults, 
forsaken as well as confessed, and wordly habits 
and inordinate affection must be strangled. 

Are we not willing to exalt Jesus and subdue 
self, to pray to God for the Spirit, to obey His 
will and expectantly look forward to the promise 
of the Father? It is the power we need in our 
lives and in our work. And what a transforma- 
tion would come, how we would like to pray then, 
with what joy we could sing, and how cheer- 
fully we could do God’s will! Without this 
power of the Spirit, the service of the Master is 
hard; but with it, a pleasure. 

These two modes of life have been compared. 
The first, to a boat rowed with great toil against 
a wind and tide; the other, to the same boat 
sweeping over the waves, with sails filled with a 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

favoring wind. The first is compared to an ef- 
fort to remove the snow and ice of winter with 
shovels and dynamite; the latter to their remov- 
al with the warm breath of spring. And as to 
the difficult experience of caring for house 
plants in an unfavorable exposure, by constant 
care, by destroying the insects, by picking off 
the dead leaves, something can be done. But 
what gives them health and blood is fresh air 
and plenty of sunshine pouring new life into 
them. “ ’ Tis life of which our nerves are scant. 
More life, and fuller that we want.” Oh for 
more of this life of Jesus — this Spirit power! 
These temptations of the world, these lusts and 
evil habits of every young life, are thieves and 
robbers and come but for to steal and to kill and 
to destroy. But Christ came that we might 
have life, and have it more abundantly. This 
abundant life, this powerdife and life^power, we 
shall receive after the Holy Ghost has come upon 
us. 


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PART II. 

Power and Precept 

OR 


Fundamental Conditions to Spiritual Power. 



















































































VI. 

POWER AND FAITH. 

“ Repent ye and believe the gospel .” — Mark i: 15. 

The closing chapter on “Power and Prom- 
ise ” emphasizes the fact that the possession of 
power is not optional with the Christian. The 
Master says: “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” 

The command is: “Be filled with the Spirit.” 

Nor does the precept end with believers; it ex- 
tends to all men. “ Repent ye and believe the 
gospel ” is spoken to the public. In this brief 
text we find two precepts — commandments, “ ex- 
ceeding broad ” — basal conditions that reach be- 
yond the followers of Christ to all men. All 
Christians are commanded, and are therefore 
under obligation, to be “filled with the Spirit;” 
so all men are commanded, and are in like man- 
ner obligated, to become Christians. The obli- 
gation rests on all alike. Christians acknowl- 
edge it; others do not. Yet the precept stands, 

“ Repent and believe the gospel.” 

Here are two fundamental conditions to the 
possession of spiritual power : ( 1 ) Faith, the / 

gateway into the realm of power; (2) Repent- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

ance, the act of entrance. Of the spiritual life 
these two lie at the foundation. Of these, faith is 
the first. This is inverting the order of our text, 
but it accords with the teaching of Scripture 
and reason to say that when our Lord uttered 
the precept, “ Repent,” He at once led 
His hearers to the one essential to repentance, 
and added, “ and believe the gospel.” It is so 
with the apostle when he says: “That if thou 
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,” 
he immediately adds, “ and believe in thy heart.” 
It is reasonable that a man will not forsake or 
turn away from sin unless he believes in some- 
^ thing better and trusts one to whom he can turn. 
Repentance is the great need of men to turn 
them into the kingdom, but “believe in the gos- 
pel ” is the means to that end. 

As to time, the means and end are together. 
As to order of thought, the belief precedes. 
Where one is, the other is, and when one is, the 
other is; but there must be “ belief in the gos- 
pel ” that there may be repentance toward God. 
This “ belief in the gospel ” is faith in Jesus 
Christ. This can best be expressed in the 
words of another: “The French king arro- 
gantly said, ‘ I am the state.’ In simple truth, 
Christ is the gospel.” 

With these preliminary remarks we now pro- 
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Power and Precept 

ceed with the discussion of these fundamental 
conditions to spiritual power, viz., faith and re- 
pentance. First we consider faith as to its 
nature , its necessity, and its note or sign, 
These points find their best explanation in our 
Lord’s own words: “He that believeth on Me 
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living 
water.” (Jno. 7:88.) 

This is figurative speech; but the interpreta- 
tion appears in the next verse: “But this 
spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe 
on Him should receive.” Water is frequently 
used to represent the operations of the Spirit. 
In the very promise of the Spirit, the figure is 
used of “pouring water upon the thirsty” and 
“floods upon the dry ground.” (Isa. 44:3.) 
Again, the promise is: “I will pour out My 
Spirit upon all flesh.” While in the text before 
us the effects of the Spirit are represented as 
“ rivers of living water.” 

To receive this blessing of the Spirit, this 
New Testament promise, there is one require- 
ment necessary above all others: it is faith in 
Jesus Christ. “ He that believeth on Me out of 
his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” We 
were redeemed by Him, not only to receive sal- 
vation through faith in Him, but also to re- 
ceive the promise of the Spirit. “ Christ hath 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

redeemed us from the curse of the law, that we 
might receive the promise of the Spirit through 
faith.” (Gal. 3: 13, 14.) 

Before speaking further of the necessity of 
faith, let us see something of its nature. The 
Master says, “ He that believeth on Me.” Faith 
is belief; belief is accepting as true the record 
that we have of Christ. We accept the testi- 
mony of men and events as given by our fellow 
men, and the apostle says: “If we receive the 
witness of men, the witness of God is greater.” 
“ He that believeth not God, hath made Him a 
liar; because he believed not the record that 
God gave of His Son. And this is the record 
that God hath given to us, eternal life, and this 
life is in His Son.” “He that hath the Son 
hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God, 
hath not life.” The record is that God hath 
given to us eternal life and that life is in 
the Son. Accepting this record is believing on 
Christ. It is not only believing that God is, 
and that He is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and un- 
changeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, 
justice, goodness, and truth; but believing that 
Jesus Christ also is; that He is the Son of God; 
that He is the eternal Son of God; that in the 
beginning was the Word, and the Word was 
with God, and the same was in the beginning 
with God; that “ All things were made by Him 
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Power and Precept 

and apart from Him was not anything made 
that was made”; and believing that “the Word 
was made flesh and dwelt among us.” Believ- 
ing, too, that “Jesus Christ took not on Him the 
nature of angels but took on Him the seed of 
Abraham.” (Heb. 2:16.) 

It is believing Jesus to be the Christ, 
the Messiah. This the Hebrews refused to 
believe. This the Ethiopian did believe. And 
Cornelius, although a devout man, must yet be 
convinced that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of 
God — the promised Messiah, for whom he 
looked. It “ is believing on Me ” as He that 
should come, and looking not for another ; believ- 
ing that “He came to seek and to save that 
which was lost;” that “He was wounded for our 
transgressions;” that “He was bruised for our 
iniquities ” ; that He “ died for us ” ; that, on 
the third day, He arose from the dead, as- 
cended into heaven, and that He is now at 
God’s right hand making continual intercession 
for us. 

Faith in Jesus Christ, therefore, is accepting, 
not a part or parts of the record, but all of it. 
It is more. It is looking unto Him, not only as 
the author but as the finisher of our faith, 
who for the joy that was set before Him, en- 
dured the cross, despising the shame and is set 
down at the right hand of God. He who has 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

faith in Jesus Christ is he who “ believeth” on 
Him as to His history, His promises, His pre- 
cepts and His prohibitions. 

If we have faith in Christ, we believe on Him 
so as to pray to Him, obey Him, and expect to 
receive from Him whatever He has promised. 
We will abide in Him, and His words will abide 
in us. We will receive Him, and rest upon Him 
alone for salvation, but not for salvation only. 
He that believeth on Christ abides in Him, and 
His words abide in the believer. He appropri- 
ates the life and power and wisdom of Christ to 
himself. He not only “comes” but he “drinks.” 
Faith is more than a mere belief; there is a sav- 
ing faith, a “ receiving and resting upon ” Christ 
alone for salvation. Faith is more than a saving 
faith; it also includes service, a coming to Him 
and a drinking in His life so that His promises, 
His precepts and prohibitions, are yea and amen. 
So that His life is our life; His work is our 
work. He came not only that we should have 
life but that we should have “ life more abun- 
dantly.” 

When the Master uttered, “ He that believeth 
on Me,” He meant more than a mere consent to 
His history. When He said, “If any man 
thirst let him come unto Me and drink,” did He 
mean that He would provide literal water to 
quench the thirst of the physical body? No. 

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Power and Precept 

Neither did He mean that when He talked to the 
woman at the well, saying: “ Whosoever drink- 
eth of the water that I shall give him shall 
never thirst.” Why does He say “ come unto 
Me”? Was He not surrounded by the multi- 
tude? Had not many of these been, during the 
throng, touching clothes with Him? Does He 
mean for all the multitude to come close and 
touch Him or take hold of even the “hem of 
His garment”? There is a deeper meaning in 
“ come and drink” than this. 

To come to Christ is not to approach His body. 
J udas came to Him when he delivered that de- 
ceitful kiss. The high priests came to Jesus 
when they arrested Him. Yes, Judas came to 
Him and drank, but not in the sense here meant. 
“If any man thirst,” — if any man longs for 
pardon from sin, for peace of conscience, if your 
words are those of the Psalmist, “ As the hart 
panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my 
soul after thee, O God; My soul thirsteth for 
God, for the living God”; then He means to 
come in submission, yielding your wills to His 
will, presenting your body a “ living sacrifice,” 
obeying the call, “ Son, give Me thine heart.” 

This is the kind of coming Christ means. In 
the spirit, too, of him who said: “Lord, not my 
feet only, but also my hands and my head.” We 
admire the whole^heartedness of Peter. He is 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

anxious not only that the feet, representing the 
course of life, but the hands, representing the 
activities of life, and the head, representing the 
intellectual faculties, also shall have a part in 
the service of the Master. He means to come 
in the sincerity of her who wished only to “ touch 
the hem of the garment,” and in humility of 
the other who desired only the “ crumbs from 
her Master’s table.” Come with your body, with 
your heart, with your soul, with your mind. 

In this spirit of submission we are ready to 
drink in the blessings He has in store for us, to 
receive whatever He has to give us. And as 
the greatest and best gift that the Father had 
for us was His Son, so the Holy Spirit is the 
great promise of the New Testament and the 
chief gift of Christ to all who come unto Him. 
To come and drink, in this sense, is to believe, is 
to have faith in Christ. It is submitting all to 
Him, accepting all He offers, doing whatever 
He requires, and leaving undone whatever He 
forbids. It is coming to Him for whatever our 
souls desire. It is to delight in Him and com- 
mit the life to His care. So the inspired poet 
sings: 

“ Delight thyself in God; He’ll give 
Thy heart’s desire to thee, 

Thy way to God commit , Him trust , 

It bring to pass shall He.” 

Three exercises of the soul here, trust, delight , 
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Power and Precept 

commit. These are elements of true faith. Im- 
plicit trust begets pure delight which leads to a 
committal of the entire life. The spirit of this 
psalm has found expression in verse: 

“ Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee, 

Trust Him when thy faith is small, 

Trust Him when simply to trust Him 
Seems the hardest thing of all. 

Trust Him for His will is the best, 

Trust Him for the heart of Jesus is the only place 
to rest, 

All thy cares upon Him cast; 

Trust Him till the storm of life is over, 

Trust Him till the trusting days are past.” 

He that believes on Christ delights in Him 
and confidingly turns the life over to Him. Are 
we hungry? He is meat indeed. Are we 
thirsty? He is drink. Are we weary? He is 
rest. Are we weak? He is strength. Faith in 
Christ is “ taking Him for all things.” And 
reverently we may add, taking all things for 
Christ. 

This is the kind of faith that He expects. 
“All thing are possible to him that believeth.” 
“ If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed ye 
might say unto this sycamine tree, be thou 
plucked up by the root, and it should obey you, 
or to this mountain, remove hence to yonder 
place, and it shall remove.” In the one case the 
disciples have failed to heal the lunatic who, 
according to the testimony of the father, was 
so from a child. To do this would seem as 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

difficult as to remove a mountain. In the other 
case the disciples despaired at the thought of 
ever attaining the high degree of life — the for- 
giving spirit — of which the Master had just 
been speaking, which, indeed, might seem pos- 
sible, but as difficult as to uproot the sycamine 
tree. Yet they are assured of success in both 
cases, if their faith be as a grain of mustard seed. 

Is there not here the lesson of faith’s power 
to accomplish things the most difficult as well 
as things otherwise impossible? Whether they 
be within us as the unforgiving spirit was with- 
in those disciples, or a work of necessity, or 
mercy, as the healing of the lunatic, mustard- 
seed faith renders all things possible. 

Not the least bit of faith, as is often thought, 
says one, but a living, hardy, faith; a faith that is 
Christ in grain just as the mustard seed is the 
“great tree ” in grain; a faith that adapts itself to 
its surroundings and appropriates them to its own 
development and strength just as the mustard 
seed adapts itself to the soil, moisture, and heat, 
whether in the garden or in the commons; faith 
as a “ grain of mustard seed ” small and insig- 
nificant in itself but the sum-total of divine 
power and dignity and beneficence as the 
mustard seed is the germ of the “great tree” 
into whose branches the fowls of heaven may 
gather and shelter; and a faith which, like the 
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Power and Precept 

mustard seed, does its work without show or 
noise. This is the faith that “worketh by 
love.” The faith that is neither barren nor un- 
fruitful. “He that believeth on Me, out of his 
belly shall flow rivers of living water.” 

Having considered the nature of faith let us 
now inquire as to its necessity in receiving 
spiritual power. Why is belief in Jesus Christ 
indispensable in order to enter the kingdom of 
power? “ He that believetli on Me, out of his 
belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Apart, 
or severed from Me ye can do nothing. “ All 
power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth ” 
is the testimony of our Lord. Hence apart , or 
severed from Him we can do nothing. In the 
Juniata Shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company is found an immense hydraulic en- 
gine. It is in a separate building, and, to the 
observer, there is no visible connection between 
it and the many machines in the adjoining shops. 
Yet each machine has connection with it by a 
hidden pipe through which the power from that 
huge engine is conveyed, and by which these 
machines can receive power to their utmost 
capacity. But sever this connection and they 
become powerless. Apart from the source of 
power they can do nothing. So since all power 
is given unto Christ it is evident that apart 
from Him we can do nothing. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

It is necessary to be in touch with Him, be- 
cause by His Spirit only can we receive power. 
He sends the Holy Ghost from the Father. 
The only way of communication between us and 
the Father is Christ. “ I am the way.” As we 
have observed, “Jesus Christ is the way to all 
the blessings of grace. He is the way to pardon, 
to peace, to holiness. He is a new way, a per- 
petual way, an open way, a plain way, a holy 
way, an exclusive way.” He is not only the 
way, but the door to the way. “ I am the door, 
by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved and 
shall go in and out and find pasture.” This 
opens up the door and the way to the soubfood 
of the Christian.” “ He shall find pasture ” — 
that which sustains life and gives power for 
service. 

There is no access to God and to the “ good 
things ” of His spiritual treasury except through 
Christ, and that by faith in Him. Many of the 
mercies of God are bestowed upon all alike. “ He 
does cause the sun to rise on the good and evil. 
He sends rain on the unjust as on the just.” 
But with spiritual blessings it is not so. Here 
a distinction is made — a distinction based on 
faith alone. Only by this means can the 
soul — the spiritual man — find satisfaction for 
its longings, its hungerings, and its Burstings. 
If any man thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 

134 


Power and Precept 

“ By Me if any man enter in he shall find pas- 
ture.” “ He that spared not His own Son but 
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not 
with Him freely give us all things .” To receive 
the things of God we must receive the Son. 
Only by faith can we receive Him. And to re- 
ceive any or all good things, faith in Jesus 
Christ is absolutely indispensable. 

Chief among the “ all things ” promised with 
the Son is the Holy Spirit. As has already been 
noted, one chief object in redeeming us is to give 
us the Holy Spirit. The apostle says, “ Christ 
hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
that we might receive the promise of the 
Spirit through faith.” The object to be at- 
tained is the promise of the Spirit, and this 
comes through faith. The plan of redemption 
itself teaches us that without faith in Jesus 
Christ the Holy Spirit cannot be possessed by 
man. Our salvation originated with the Father. 
“God so loved the world that He gave His only^ 
begotten Son.” Its execution was accomplished 
by the Son who in response to the love of 
the Father, said: “ Lo I come.” He did come. 
He died on the cross. He satisfied the justice 
of God. He rose, ascended, and made good the 
promise of the Father in sending the Holy 
Ghost. Him He sends to us, not alone to con- 
vince us of sin but to fit us for heaven; not 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

alone to deliver ns from the service of Satan, 
but to qualify us for serving in turn Him who 
died for us. Hence the Holy Spirit comes to us 
as the gift of the Son and of the Father. 

Since the Son is not only the “ way,” but the 
“ door” of the way to the Father, and is Himself 
equal with the Father in sending the Spirit, the 
necessity of faith in Him is evident. It is said 
(Acts 11 : 24) that Barnabas was “ full of the Holy 
Ghost,” but to account for this fact it is added 
immediately, “and of faith.” Unless full of 
faith he could not be full of the Holy Ghost. 
Faith here explains the term “ full of the Holy 
Ghost.” Faith unlocks the “ door ” and points 
out the “ way” through and by which the Father 
sends the Spirit. 

The nature of faith in Christ shows another 
reason for its necessity. It draws and binds its 
possessor to God and necessarily separates him 
from everything else. It has a separating as 
well as a connecting power. The former is no 
less essential than the latter in securing the 
“ promise of the Father.” Connection with the 
world and separation from God is weakness; 
but separation from the world and connection 
with God by faith in His Son is strength. 
Stephen was full of power because he was full of 
faith. He did “ great wonders ” because he was 
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Power and Precept 

“ full of faith and power.” The disciples were 
weak and had not power to heal the lunatic be- 
cause of their “ unbelief.” The remedy for this 
weakness our Lord prescribes, namely, prayer 
and fasting. The former, as Mr. Murray has 
said, signifies connection with God; the latter, 
separation from the world. 

A life of faith is necessarily a life of separa- 
tion. The life of Abraham, the “ father of all 
them that believe,” is marked by the principle 
of separation. He is called out from Ur of the 
Chaldees. X He must bury his father in Haran. 
In Canaan, the land given to him, he only 
'‘pitched his tent”; but he also built an altar. 
The tent — his earthly tie — was temporary. The 
altar — his faith connection — was permanently set. 
Soon he is called upon to give up his son Isaac, 
then Sarah his wife. Hence he “ gave all he 
had to Isaac.” 

The chosen people of God, the children of 
faith, furnish a similar example of separation. 
Neither in politics, religion nor matrimony can 
they join with the other nations. The Canaanite 
must be driven from the land. So separation is 
the principle of distinction in the Christian 
church. That the followers of Christ “ receive 
not the grace of God in vain ” the apostle sounds 
the note of separation: “Be ye not unequally 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

yoked together with unbelievers, come out from 
among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord, 
and touch no unclean thing; and I will receive 
you, and will be to you a Father, and ye shall be 
to Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Al- 
mighty. Having therefore these promises, be- 
loved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defile- 
ment of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in 
the fear of God.” (2 Cor. 6:14 — 7:1.) The 
principle that separates the life from the world 
and its sin is faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is 
essential to separation, and separation is neces- 
sary in order to secure spiritual power. 

There must be that faith, too, that exalts the 
name of Jesus above every name. The Spirit 
could not be sent into the world until the Father 
had glorified Jesus. Nor can the Spirit enter our 
hearts as an abiding power until we exalt Jesus 
Christ by bowing to Him, by believing on Him, 
by bringing our all to Him, and receiving what- 
ever He has for us. That Christian or company 
of Christians that willingly or ignorantly exalts 
business, or pleasure, or comfort, or “ numbers,” 
or “ organization,” or “ wealth,” or “ education,” 
or “reputation ” above Christ need not expect 
to receive any special power. Jesus must be 
glorified in our hearts above everything else. 
By faith He must be exalted; by faith we must 


Power and Precept 

bow down to Him with the feeling of the psalm- 
ist: 

“O, Lord, thou art my God and king; 

I’ll Thee exalt Thy praise proclaim; 

I will Thee bless and gladly sing 
Forever to Thy holy name.” 

Such faith alone is the medium of spiritual 
power. It is the instrument of appropriation. 
It is the trolley by which the current is conveyed 
from the true source of all power. 

Passing now from the nature and necessity of 
faith in Christ, let us next consider this faith as 
to its note or sign. This will stand the same 
test as a tree. It is marked by its fruit. “ He 
that believeth on Me, out of his belly shall flow 
rivers of living watery “ This spake He of the 
Spirit which they who believe on Him should 
receive.” “Out of his belly” or “out of his 
heart shall flow rivers of living water.” “ Out 
of his heart are the issues of life,” and out of 
the heart of him that believeth shall flow copious 
streams of righteousness. 

In the heart and soul of man, the Spirit has 
His abode on earth. The result is that the 
“ issues ” of the heart are as abundant as rivers 
of water. They revive and refresh and purify 
the surrounding world. They are constant as 
rivers, not intermittent, as is the famous Flow- 
ing Spring of Central Pennsylvania, one hour 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

filling its channel, and the next disappearing. 
Like rivers they cannot be obstructed; they will 
find a channel somewhere. Paul is in prison, 
but he writes letters. Luther is in the lonely 
castle of confinement, but his countrymen re- 
ceive therefrom a copy of the word in their 
mother tongue. Bunyan is in the damp dungeon 
at Bedford, but “ Pilgrim’s Progress” flows out 
to the world. “ He that believeth on Me,” in 
the true sense, is so full of the Spirit that his 
every-day life is a benediction. It is to his 
community what a living, flowing river is to the 
surrounding country — in itself refreshing and 
purifying, and upon its breast are borne into his 
community heaven’s richest blessings. 

Abounding wealth shall bless his home, 

His righteousness shall still endure; 

To him shall light arise in gloom; 

He’s kind, compassionate and pure. 

The good will favor show and lend, 

And his affairs discreetly guide; 

Unmoved He stands till life shall end, 

His name and honor shall abide. 

He is good and He cannot help but do good. 
His doing good is not a drudgery. Some one 
has said: “ He scarce giveth once that giveth 
slackly; he rather in truth suffers a good turn 
to be drawn from him than doeth one. Living 
springs send out streams of water; dead pits 
must have all they afford drawn out in buckets.” 

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Power and Precept 

What a contrast between the natural heart 
and that into which the Holy Spirit has entered 
by faith in Jesus Christ! The wise man, in 
showing the vanity of human courses, says: “ All 
the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not 
full.” And it is the experience of all men that 
the rivers of pleasure, of avarice and ambition, 
and of all merely human desires, flowing into 
the natural heart, do not satisfy. Still the heart 
“ is not full.” But out of the heart of him that 
believeth on Christ, the heart that is full of the 
Spirit, shall flow streams of righteousness, vir- 
tue, love, joy and peace and yet the sea is not 
“empty.” “Out of the good treasure of the 
heart he bringeth forth good things.” “ Out 
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 
eth not evil, but good.” 

From a “ Spirit-filled ” heart flows a life of 
Spirit-directed action. The hands with all their 
might do whatsoever they find to do. Not a 
noisy, boisterous display; not the fussy, busy- 
body style content only with being queen of the 
May, on rally days; not the busy, here and there, 
everywhere seen, nowhere desired life, aptly 
styled “ industrious idleness”; not this, but that 
rare flow of thoughtful, prudent, faithful effort 
that makes for peace and righteousness. 

Plutarch tells of two men who w T ere hired at 
Athens for some public work; the one was full 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

of tongue but slow at hand, the other was blank 
in speech but an excellent workman. Being 
called upon by the magistrates to express them- 
selves and declare at large how they would pro- 
ceed, when the first had made a long speech and 
explained the work from point to point, the 
other seconded him in a few words, saying: “ Ye 
men of Athens, what this man has said to you in 
words, I will make good to you in true perform- 
ances.” As by this man’s work he showed him- 
self to be the better artisan, so by efficient effort 
is shown the Spirit’s power in the life. 

Of Spirit-filled Christians it is especially true: 
“We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not 
breaths; in feelings, not in figures on a dial”; 
not words, but deeds; not profession, but char- 
acter; not leaves, but fruit. To “ confess with 
the mouth ” is a sign of faith in “ the heart,” 
but the true evidences of “ believeth on Me ” 
are the “rivers of water” — the fruit of the 
Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentle- 
ness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 

All the blessings in the world and the church 
have flown from God by faith in Jesus Christ. 
Like rivers of water in the dry, sultry days of 
autumn, they have come imparting life and 
vigor, joy and comfort. They have brought 
bread for the hungry, clothes for the naked, rest 
for the weary. Whence came these homes for 


Power and Precept 

the fatherless and the poor? These asylums for 
the blind and helpless? These social and re- 
ligious reforms? Out of the world? No. Of 
the natural man? No, out of his heart flow 
the rivers of worldly pleasure, avarice, ambition; 
but all that tends for mercy, comfort, love, joy 
and peace comes from the heart, from the 
church, filled with power by the Spirit of the 
Lord, and that through faith in Jesus Christ. 

One has fittingly expressed it thus: “From 
this union have sprung up a glorious progeny.” 
“All the mighty deeds which have ennobled 
and elevated humanity own that parentage. 
Faith and action have been the source, under 
God, of everything good and great and enduring 
in the church of Christ, the very church itself 
exists through them. Its model men were men 
of faith and action. Such have ever been God’s 
true evangelists. Such was Luther, the flaming 
iconoclast of Europe — to=day writing theses 
and to-morrow translating the Scriptures or 
hurling fresh invective against the domination 
of the man of sin. Such were Baxter , the inde- 
fatigible pastor; Edwards, the perpetual thinker; 
Neander, the perpetual student; Owen the un- 
tiring preacher, writer, thinker, and reformer, all 
in one.” 

And hear the great apostle: “What shall I 
more say? The time would fail me to tell of 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Gideon, of Barak, of Samson, and of Jephtha, 
and of David also, and of Samuel, and of the 
prophets; who through faith subdued king- 
doms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, 
stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the vio- 
lence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out 
of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant 
in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens.’’ 
(Heb. 11:32-34.) Faith in Jesus Christ is the 
medium of all spiritual power for the individual 
or the church. Do we desire more power to be 
and to do what the Christ Master would have 
us be and do? Then let our continual prayer 
be, “ Lord increase our faith.” 


144 




VII. 

POWER AND REPENTANCE. 


“ Repent ye and believe the gospel — Mark i: 15. 

Faith, the first fundamental condition to 
spiritual power having been considered, we 
now consider repentance as the second. As to 
this, consider also its nature, necessity, and sign. 

As to nature of repentance, it is extensive and 
intensive in range, and Godward and manward 
in execution. In regard to extent, the word 
repentance has a general, and a specific sense. 
The general is synonymous with the term 
salvation, and signifies the entire change from a 
sinner in the “horrible pit” to a saint in the 
heavenly paradise. The specific sense, or re- 
pentance proper, indicates the immediate act, or 
change of heart and will, which frees the sinner 
from the claim of Satan and gives him a title to 
glory. 

Both the specific and intensive nature of 
repentance as well as the Godward and manward 
sides appear in the words of the prophet: “Let 
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous 
man his thoughts; and let him return unto the 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and 
to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” 
(Isa. 55: 7.) The specific nature consists in the 
simple act of “forsaking” and “turning”; the 
intensive, in the fact that this repentance is in- 
ternal, as well as external. “ Forsake his way ” 
is the external repentance, the outward con- 
version, the turning away of the wicked from 
the open crimes, and immoralities, and sins of 
the body and flesh, visible to the eyes of alL 
The “ unrighteous man his thoughts ” — this 
reaches the inward man. The heart and mind 
must repent. The penitent must part company 
with sins of the mind as well as of the body. 
The outward conduct and the inward condition 
undergo a convplete change. The manward 
side of repentance appears in the first part of 
this text: “The wicked forsake his way, and 
the unrighteous man his thoughts; and return 
unto the Lord.” The Godward, is set forth in 
second part: “And He will have mercy upon 
him and, will abundantly pardon” 

Looking Godward we see in the commission 
given to Paul, repentance both in the general 
and specific sense. “ I send thee to open their 
eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, 
and from the power of Satan unto God, that 
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an 
inheritance among them that are sanctified by 


Power and Precept 

faith that is in Me.” (Acts 26: 18.) Here is the 
fundamental principle in repentance — “ faith 
that is in Me”; the two antecedent elements : (1) 
conviction — “to open their eyes”; (2) enlighten- 
ment — “ to turn them from darkness unto light ”; 
the act itself, or repentance proper — “ from the 
power of Satan unto God.” Here also are 
three consequent elements: justification — “that 
they may receive the forgiveness of sins”; 
adoption — “an inheritance”; and sanctifica- 
tion, or a fitness for that inheritance, “ among 
them that are sanctified.” In the light of this 
text, God is the author and agent of repentance; 
but looking at the human side it appears 
that man has an active part. The sinner is 
commanded: “ Repent and believe the gospel.” 
“ Repent and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall 
come from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 8: 
19.) “Repent and be baptized, and ye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2: 
88 .) 

The human side is presented in the general 
sense by a catechism answer familiar to many: 
“ Repentance unto life is a saving grace whereby 
a sinner out of a true sense of his sin and appre- 
hension of the mercy of God in Christ doth 
with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it 
unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor 
U7 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

after, new obedience.” Here repentance is de- 
scribed as a “ saving grace,” it is a gift from God 
with the salvation of the sinner in view as the 
end. It is a saving grace whereby a sinner has 
“ a true sense of his sin .” Here is the effect 
when God opens the eyes: The sinner has a 
true sense of his sin,— conviction. He sees sin 
as it is. He sees the sinfulness of sin, and its 
heinousness in the sight of God. And, “ out of 
a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of 
the mercy of God in Christ ,” he turns from 
darkness unto light. He sees the mercy of God 
as it is exhibited in the life and sufferings and 
death of Christ. He is enlightened both as to 
the heinousness of his sin and the richness of 
God’s mercy. And with a true sense of sin and 
apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ doth 
with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it, — 
here is contrition. The sinner is convinced that 
he has sin and sees the real nature of his sin. He 
also sees the mercy of God in Christ, and, con- 
trasting these, he is filled with grief and hatred 
of that sin, which caused the suffering and death 
of Christ, and turns from it unto God. This is 
repentance in the proper, or specific, sense. It 
is conversion. It is man putting into action the 
power conferred by the “ saving grace ” and the 
“faith that is in Me” — the power conferred by 
the Spirit of God in the regenerating work 
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Power and Precept 

which “ opened his eyes ” and “ turned him from 
darkness unto light.” It is repentance in the 
strict sense. Before, his back was toward God; 
now, he faces God. It is said that out of a true 
sense of sin and apprehension of the mercy of God 
in Christ, he doth, with grief and hatred of his 
sin, turn from it unto God, with “ full purpose 
of, and endeavor after , new obedience .” Here 
is consecration in the standard coin — “full 
purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.” 

The story of the prodigal applies here as an 
illustration of repentance in its Godward and 
man ward sides, in the general and specific sense, 
both externally and internally. In fact this 
story is the “ sample copy ” of the true penitent. 
To verify this it is only necessary to note the 
various steps in the return of the prodigal and 
in the reception given by the father. 

When he came to himself or in the above 
language of Acts 26: 18 and that catechism, we 
may read, when his “ eyes were opened ” and he 
had a “ true sense of his sin.” This is convic- 
tion. It is a sense of his true condition and a 
“ true sense ” of his condition. How many hired 
servants of my father's have bread enough and 
to spare and I perish with hunger! What is 
this but enlightenment, of which we spoke 
above? He is “turned from darkness into 
light ”; he thinks of the abundance of the home, 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

of the kindness of the father, of the luxury of 
the hired servants; and all this he contrasts with 
his own poverty. This is “apprehending the 
mercy of God in Christ.” Then he arose and 
came to his father — conversion — the act of 
repentance — the “ turning from sin unto God,” 
which is repentance in the strict sense. Father 
I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. 
Here is confession , a new element, something 
we did not have expressed in the samples men- 
tioned above. And am no more worthy to he 
called thy son. This is contrition. It is “ grief 
and hatred of his sin.” Make me as one of 
thy hired servants. Here again is consecration. 
It is the “ full purpose of, and endeavor after, 
new obedience.” When in the home before 
he was a son ; now he is willing to be a servant, 
to do any service, however humble, and when- 
ever bidden. 

Noting the actions of the father in receiving the 
son we see the Godward side, after a sinner has 
been brought to repentance. But “ when he was 
yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had 
compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and 
kissed him, and said to his servants: “ Bring forth 
the best robe and put it on him.” Here is for- 
giveness, pardon, justification. The robe — the 
“best robe” — is put on him. So Christ clothes 
the penitent with the robe of His righteousness. 


Power and Precept 

By this robe alone can the rags and shame of the 
sinner be covered. How the conduct of this 
father accords with the words of the prophet: 

“ Let him return unto the Lord and He will have 
mercy upon him, and to our God and He will 
abundantly pardon .” So abundant is the par- 
don of the Lord that it not only sees the peni- 
tent a great way off, but runs to meet him. 
Put a ring on his hand, is a token of forgive- 
ness and a seal of his right and posession in the 
home of the father. Nothing less than the 
“inheritance” referred to above — adoption. 
Shoes on his feet — a fitness for the inheritance — 
sanctification. He is not to be a “hired serv- 
ant ” as was his request, but a son, on an equality 
with the family of the father. Bring hither the 
fatted calf and kill it; and let us ecd and be 
merry. This is a feast. It is communion with 
the father and his family. So the Lord says: 

“ I will come in to him, and will sup with him, 
and he with Me.” (Rev. 3:20.) 

When the Lord says, “Repent,” His command- 
ment is “exceeding broad.” It embraces con- ^ 
viction, contrition, conversion, confession, con- 
secration, communion. It implies justification, 
adoption, and sanctification, with all they mean. 

In this brief survey of repentance, as to its 
nature, we see that it begins with conviction — 

“ To open their eyes,” and ends with communion 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

— “ Let us eat and be merry,” the evidence and 
reality indeed of abundant pardon. God is at 
both ends. But there is ample room between 
these two extremes for the sinner to exercise 
fully his heart and will and faculties in acting, 
by seeing and hating, by turning and confess- 
ing and communing. 

With this view of its nature it seems useless 
to discuss necessity of repentance in order to 
secure the power of the Holy Spirit. The 
unsatisfying and ruinous nature of sin itself 
makes it necessary to repent. Because of his 
extreme want, the prodigal was compelled to 
arise and go to his father. It was his famish- 
ing condition that brought him to himself. 
This wayward son could stand it no longer. 
He had gone far enough to learn that the 
“ wages of sin is death.” The only remedy was 
to forsake the service of sin and go to the father. 

The evil of sin in itself renders it necessary 
to repent. There is no promise of “ mercy ” or 
“abundant pardon” until the wicked forsake 
his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts. 
It is “his way” and “his thoughts” that must 
be forsaken. “ His way ” is not the Lord’s way. 
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, 
neither are your ways My ways saith the Lord.” 
“The ways of the Lord are right” and, of 
course, the sinner’s way is wrong. It is the 
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Power and Precept 

way of the wicked, and “the way of the wicked 
is an abomination nnto the Lord.” It is so 
with “his thoughts.” “The thoughts of the 
wicked are an abomination to the Lord.” “ The 
carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not 
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can 
be.” “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” 
whether in the “way” — sins of the body; or 
in the “ thoughts” — sins of the mind; and they 
must be forsaken. Let no one console himself 
with the notion that “ his thoughts ” are not 
wicked. “ My thoughts are not your thoughts.” 
How easily we excuse ourselves and friends 
with the remark, “ It’s just my w T ay,” or, “ It’s 
just his way.” Of course that is true, but it is 
not God’s way. “ Neither are your ways My 
ways.” “ Some sins in themselves, and by 
reason of several aggravations, are more heinous 
in the sight of God than others.” But, “Every 
sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this 
life and that which is to come ” ; and that which 
deserves “wrath and curse” can be avoided 
only by repentance. “ Let him return unto the 
Lord , and He will have mercy upon him, and to 
our God, and He will abundantly pardon.” 

It is necessary to repent to escape the poicer 
and dominion as well as the penalty of sin. The 
eyes of the Gentiles were opened to “ turn them 
from darkness unto light, and from the power 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

of Satan unto God.” Satan’s power consists in 
darkness. “ The way of the wicked is darkness.” 
Concerning those who had repented the apostle 
says: “This I say and testify in the Lord that 
ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, 
in the vanity of their mind, having the under- 
standing darkened, being alienated from the 
life of God, through the ignorance that is in 
them, because of the blindness of their heart.” 
The mission of Christ on the earth was to 
“destroy him who had the power of death, that 
is, the devil,” and to deliver us “ from the power 
of darkness.” 

The direct commandment of the Lord is suf- 
ficient reason for repentance. “ Repent and 
believe the gospel ” renders it just as necessary 
to repent as to believe the gospel. No sooner 
had the gospel message been announced than 
comes the command: “ Repent, for the kingdom 
of heaven is at hand.” The prophet Isaiah 
specifies the action involved: “Wash you, 
make you clean; put away the evil of your do- 
ings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; 
learn to do well.” The command of the Lord 
by the psalmist is: “Thy lips refrain from speak- 
ing guile, and from ill words thy tongue. Depart 
from ill, do good, seek peace, pursue it earnestly. 
God’s eyes are on the just, His ears are open to 
their cry.” 


154 


Power and Precept 

From the foregoing it appears evident that to 
secure the favor of God or to serve Him it is 
necessary to repent. The man who desires life, 
and desires to see good, and who would live long, 
must “ depart from ill” To receive forgive- 
ness of sins, we must repent. It is written: 
“If we confess our sins, God is faithful and 
righteous to forgive us our sins.” (1 Jno. 1: 
9.) But the confession is useless unless we 
“depart from ill” and “cease to do evil.” Not 
only the forgiveness of sins but all the benefits 
resulting therefrom are conditioned on repent- 
ance. God will abundantly pardon, but only 
when the “wicked has forsaken his way and the 
unrighteous man his thoughts, and returned 
unto the Lord.” It is impossible to be conse- 
crated to God until sin is forsaken. We must 
cease to do evil before we can learn to do 
well. Before one can do good, seek peace and 
pursue it earnestly, he must refrain his lips 
from “speaking guile,” and his tongue from 
“ill words.” Only the true penitent can say: 

“Take my life, and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord to Thee. 

Take my hands, and let them move, 

At the impulse of Thy love. 

Take my feet, and let them be 
Swift and ‘beautiful’ for Thee. 

Take my voice, and let me sing 
Always, only, for my King. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Take my lips and let them be 
Filled with messages from Thee. 

Take my silver and my gold ; 

Not a mite would I withhold. 

Take my moments and my days; 

Let them flow in endless praise. 

Take my intellect, and use 

Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose. 

Take my will, and make it Thine; 

It shall be no longer mine. 

Take my heart, it is Thine own; 

It shall be Thy royal throne. 

Take my love; my Lord, I pour 
At Thy feet its treasure^store. 

Take myself, and I will be 
Ever, only, all for Thee.” 

Without repentance there can be no commun- 
ion with God. The prodigal arose and came to 
the father, before the word went out: “ Bring 
hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat 
and be merry.” “ Behold I stand at the door 
and knock; if any man hear My voice and open 
the door, I will come in to him and sup with 
him, and he with Me.” (Rev. 3: 20.) These 
hearts closed against God and Christ and the 
Holy Spirit must open. A change is necessary. 
There must be a turning of the affections from 
the world, and sin and self to God and His Son. 
Then will Christ, who came to give life and to 
give it more abundantly, enter in by His Spirit 

and commune with us. “ If I regard iniquity 

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Power and Precept 


in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” When 
God cannot hear there can be no communion. 
The Lord cannot hear when iniquity is in the 
heart. Only the pure in heart can see God. It 
is necessary to see God, as well as for Him to 
hear us, that we may commune with Him. In 
order that God may hear , and that we may see , 
iniquity must be put out of the heart. Christ 
must be in possession. The ears of the Lord 
are open to the cries of the just. The just are 
those who have forsaken sin, and are following 
God. “ The secret of the Lord is with them 
that fear Him.” Such enter into fellowship 
with the Most High as did Abraham and Moses. 
From them the Lord does not conceal His pur- 
pose. He talks with Moses as a man speaketh 
with a friend; and, concerning His dealing with 
Sodom, the Lord was not willing to hide from 
Abraham the thing that He was about to do. 

All spiritual blessings are conditioned on 
repentance. The crowning and albinclusive 
blessing — the Holy Spirit — is especially so. In 
answer to the question: “ What shall we do?” 
Peter said: “ Repent and be baptized every one 
of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the re- 
mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost.” A gift, yes, but only those 
who repent can receive. 

In an address on the Holy Spirit, Rev. R. A. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

Torrey describes the repentance necessary, as 
follows: “Change your mind about God; 

change your mind about Jesus Christ; change 
your mind about sin; turn your back upon the 
world; turn your back upon sin and self, and 
turn your face toward Jesus Christ, and sur- 
render all to Him; and then confess Him in His 
appointed way.” Not the least spiritual bless- 
ing can be received on any less condition than a 
complete change of life both in heart and con- 
duct. How much less the great, the alb em- 
bracing, blessing — the Holy Spirit. The sinner’s 
“thoughts” and “his ways” must be forsaken. 
He must turn, and be turned from the “power 
of Satan unto God.” Or, as Peter puts it: “ Re- 
pent, and be converted, that your sins may be 
blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall 
come from the presence of the Lord.” 

Let us next consider the note of repentance. 
What of the sign ? Since repentance is a result 
of faith, yet in point of time simultaneous with 
it, what we have said concerning the sign of 
faith will apply to repentance, and what we are 
about to say as to the sign of repentance will 
apply to faith. In short the marks of repent- 
ance are the evidences of the new life, or of con- 
version. 

This is an important question both to the in- 
dividual and the fellow Christian. There is 


Power and Precept 

much more comfort and dignity in possessing 
and occupying a house when we know that our 
title is clear of all mortgages and judgments, 
and is locked up in the household vault. So 
also in the warfare with the hosts of darkness: it 
is important that each soldier of the cross know 
whether or not his comrades are loyal and will 
“ stand fire.” Are all soldiers at heart, or simply 
in uniform? The certainty that all in the ranks 
are loyal, stimulates to great courage. 

There are difficulties in ascertaining the 
reality of faith and repentance. The tempera- 
ment and training, as well as the environments 
of the individual must be considered. There is 
that frank and open disposition that, with Peter, 
will say at once: “ Thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God.” And there is that investi- 
gating spirit that must see and feel the prints 
of the nails and the spear before the decided 
answer comes: “My Lord, and my God.” 

Neither in the heart nor conduct could we 
expect the marked change in one trained in the 
“ way,” like Timothy, that is seen in the Phi- 
lippian jailor who, perhaps, knew nothing of the 
“ way ” until he heard of the uproar caused by 
the work and arrest of his distinguished 
prisoner. 

And by virtue of his surroundings the evi- 
dences of an individual’s true conversion are 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

less discernible by others, and may be also by 
himself. In writing to the church at Pergamos, 
the Lord said: “ I know thy works and where 
thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is.” 
From this we may learn that a man can be a 
Christian anywhere. But it is more difficult to 
be a Christian some places than others, and so 
the Lord makes allowance for our surroundings. 
And in judging or estimating our fellow mem- 
bers it is necessary to take note of their environ- 
ments as well as their temperament and train- 
ing. 

The steps in repentance such as contrition, 
confession, conversion, and consecration, ought 
to be decided tests, but they are not always. 
“ Confession with the mouth ” is not invariably 
a sign of “ faith in the heart.” All true con- 
verts are confessors; but all confessors are not 
true converts. True converts forsake sin; but 
all converts do not turn away from sin with 
“grief and hatred” of it. Some confess from 
a wrong motive. I believe that David meant it 
when he said: “ Against Thee, Thee only, have I 
sinned and done evil in Thy sight.” The prod- 
igal gave evidence that he was sincere in his 
confession: “ Father I have sinned against hea- 
ven and in thy sight.” But there is no evi- 
dence of true repentance in the confession of 
Saul: “I have sinned; yet honor me now, I 
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Power and Precept 

pray Thee, before the elders of my people and 
before Israel.” He dreads not the sin but the 
consequences of his sin, and would even yet con- 
ceal it from Samuel if he could. 

So some forsake sin with grief and hatred, 
but, like Ephraim, they do not “ return to the 
Most High.” They forsake sin for physical, or 
social, or financial, or political reasons and 
their “ grief and hatred” are not because of the 
heinousness of the sin in the sight of God, but 
because they are compelled to leave the sin. 
When David came to the throne of Israel, and 
sent Abner to bring back Michal, his lawful 
wife, whom Saul in his rage had given to Phal- 
tiel, it is said that Phaltiel “followed behind 
weeping^” nor would he go back until he had 
heard the stern and authoritative voice of Abner, 
saying, “ Go, return.” He gave up with “ grief 
and hatred,” but the cause of his grief was that 
he must give up. And many who enlist in the 
Lord’s service do so from material and secular 
motives. Even they themselves are deceived, 
and, of course, others are. Christ, you re- 
member, told the multitude that they followed 
for the “ loaves and fishes.” 

But there are evidences, and reliable, too, 
that a man really has repented. He is a new 
man. The apostle says: “If any man be in 
Christ, he is a new creature; old things are 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

passed away; behold all things are become new. 
And just as there is an internal and an exter- 
nal repentance, so there are internal and exter- 
nal evidences. 

There is the testimony of the Spirit within. 
“ Hereby we know that He abideth in ns, by 
the Spirit which He hath given us.” (1 Jno. 3: 
24.) “ Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, 
and He in us, because He hath given us of 
His Spirit.” (1 Jno. 4:13.) By the indwelling 
of the Spirit comes the evidence of the changed 
and new life. He sees that “old things are 
passed away and all things are become new.” 
As we learn in the able book, on the Holy 
Spirit, by Dr. Buchanan, the true penitent has 
new views of himself, of his sins and duties 
and everlasting prospects; new views of life, 
its brevity and vanity; new views of the world, 
its deceitfulness; new views of the truth and of 
God; new views of sin and of salvation. The 
Spirit brings to his view new “ affections ” and 
new “ joys, desires, and aims.” A “ new con- 
flict ” is experienced. Formerly it was between 
the conscience and sin. He was willing to sin 
but the conscience rebelled. Now when he sins 
it is unwillingly. The will is now on God’s 
side. Formerly it was on the side of the devil. 

The life is to be taken as evidence of the 
“ new man.” “ In this the children of God are 
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Power and Precept 

manifest and the children of the devil; whoso- 
ever doeth not righteousness is not of God, 
neither he that loveth not his brother.” (1 Jno. 
3:10.) “Let no man deceive you, he that 
doeth righteousness is righteous, he that com- 
mitteth sin is of the devil.” This expression 
is understood to mean not the single act of sin 
so much as the habitual sinning or doing of 
unrighteousness. Just as a railway runs east 
or west, but frequently turns to the north or 
south, yet its course is east, and in the east it 
terminates, so the sinner may at times do that 
which seems right, but the course of his life is 
sinful; or, the righteous man, by force of habit 
or of his environments, at times may do that 
which is evil, but the whole bearing of his life 
is righteous. Or, to use the comparison made 
by Dr. Guthrie, the righteous man and the 
sinner are as the sheep and the swine. Both 
walk into the mire; the swine, in surroundings 
agreeable to his nature, lies down and wallows 
in contentment; but the sheep, in environments 
so uncongenial to his nature, bleats and strug- 
gles till he gets out. 

Nevertheless the word is explicit as to the 
test of the Christian life. “ Ye are My friends 
if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (Jno. 15: 
14.) “And hereby we do know that we know 
Him, if we keep His commandments.” (1 Jno. 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 


2:3.) “For this is the love of God, that we 
keep His commandments; and His command- 
ments are not grievous.” (1 Jno. 5: 3.) The 
commandments are to be kept and that cheer- 
fully if we know that we love Him. Not “keep” 
them nice and clean, in a flexible^backed book, 
clasped with a rubber band, and laid away in the 
bookcase; not “keep” them in a huge volume 
on the center table as a piece of ornamental fur- 
niture; not “keep” them on a walbroll in the 
bedroom where you seldom go by day, and 
rarely have a light with you at night. Many 
nominal Christians “keep” the commandments 
in these ways, as a sign of their faith, and they 
keep them cheerfully, too; but the meaning is to 
keep them in the mind and heart. The psalm- 
ist says: “Thy word have I hid in my heart, 
that I might not sin against Thee.” And they 
were in his mind as well, and were not grievous. 
For again he says: “Oh how I love Thy law! 
It is my meditation all the day.” This has ever 
been the mark of the children of God. He said, 
by the prophet: “I will put My Spirit within 
you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and 
ye shall keep My judgments and do them.” 
(Ezek. 36: 27.) 

And again : “ Every one that loveth Him 
that begat, loveth Him also that is begot- 
ten of Him.” (1 Jno. 5:1.) “By this shall 


Power and Precept 

all men know that ye are My disciples, if 
ye have love one to another.” (Jno. 13: 35.) 
It is the duty, and is considered by the scrip- 
ture and the world a sign of a true convert to 
have love to other Christians. Not that all 
Christians have dispositions and temperaments 
congenial to every other but that every true 
convert will respect every other Christian be- 
cause he is of the household of faith. 

On the other hand it is the duty of every 
Christian to cultivate those graces that make 
him agreeable to his fellow ; believers. I am as 
much responsible for your love to me as you are. 
When the Lord says: “Let brotherly love con- 
tinue,” He certainly means that we do nothing 
to hinder others from loving us, just as much as 
to love others. But the test of discipleship is 
to rise above human “likes and dislikes,” and 
overlook the faults of others, trusting that they 
will overlook ours, and love them, if for no 
other reason, because they are Christians. “ Be- 
hold how these Christians love one another.” 
While we do not agree with the method of show- 
ing it, for the present, at least, yet we cannot do 
better than to refer to the example of the early 
Christians for a sign of their faith and disciple- 
ship when they “had all things common.” 

But if you are still in doubt as to your own 
faith and repentance, hear the evidence of the 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

word: “If we receive tlie witness of men, 
the witness of God is greater; for this is the 
witness of God, which He hath testified of His 
Son. He that believetli on the Son of God hath 
the witness in himself; he that believetli not 
God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth 
not the record that God gave of His Son. And 
this is the record, that God hath given to us 
eternal life, and this life is in the Son. He that 
hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the 
Son of God hath not life. These things have I 
written unto you that believe on the name of the 
Son of God; that ye may know that ye have 
eternal life.” (1 Jno. 5: 9-13.) 


166 


VIII. 


POWER AND HUMILITY. 

“Be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud 
and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves there- 
fore under the mighty hand of God , that He may exalt you 
in due time .” — 1 Pet. v : 5, 6. 

“I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is 
of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the 
humble .” — Isa. lvii. 15. 

“ For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with 
Him by the power of God .” — 2 Cob. xiii. 1. 

It is true that faith is the medium of power, 
but humility is the fitness for power. As we 
have said: As faith is the gateway to the realm 
of spiritual power, and repentance the act of en- 
tering , so humility is the garb. Without faith 
the Holy Spirit will not come, and without hu- 
mility He will not dwell within our hearts. In 
His majesty God does dwell in the high and 
holy place, but in His condescension He dwells 
on earth with man by His Holy Spirit. Here 
it is expressly stated that God dwells in the high- 
est, and also with him that hath a contrite and 
humble spirit. 

Note the kind of a man with whom God 
dwells. Not with the great, not with the mighty, 
not with the rich, not with the high and lofty 
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one, as the world estimates; but with the humble. 
The humble man is the one who is in Christ 
and shall “ live with Him by the power of God.” 
This is the man that God will revive. By the 
power of His Spirit, God dwells in, and works 
through, the man who is weak in himself and in 
the eyes of the world, but strong in Christ. 
“ When I am weak, then am I strong.” 

“Humility,” says Webster, “is not diffidence 
— a distrust of our power mingled with fear of 
censure for our failure. It is more than modesty. 
Not simply an absence of over-confidence, an 
unwillingness to put ourselves forward. It con- 
sists,” he says, “ in rating our claims low, in 
being willing to waive our rights and take a 
lower place than might be our due. It does 
not require of us to underrate ourselves. The 
humility of the Savior was complete and yet He 
had a true sense of His greatness.” In short, 
humility is the absence of pride, where the 
knowledge of power is present. It is the yield- 
ing to others when it would be just as becoming 
for others to yield to us. It is choosing a lower 
seat, when entitled to go up higher. Humility 
is not self-righteous. No more could she be 
scornful, than a dove could be vicious. She can- 
not be selfish any more than the sun could with- 
hold his rays at noonday. Humility gives God 
the credit for being what she is. She has char- 
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Power and Precept 

ity for others less favored, but no malice toward 
her superiors. 

“ Humility is that low, sweet root, 

From which all heavenly virtues shoot.” 

Humility is a virtue. It has been compared 
to a tree which, when its “ roots set deepest in 
the earth, rises higher, spreads fairer, stands 
surer, and lasts longer, and every step of its 
descent is like a rib of iron.” It is a passport 
to its possessor. A multitude of defects are 
covered under the robe of humility. Men are 
lenient to the humble man or child, ever lend- 
ing a helping hand. We readily excuse the 
failings of the humble, but with the proud we 
are exacting as a Shylock. The world holds the 
self-confident, boastful man to his own estimate 
of himself. 

“ Humility is the softening shadow before the Statue of 
Excellence 

And lieth lowly on the ground, beloved and lovely as the 
violet; 

Humility is the fair=haired maid, that called Worth her 
brother. 

The gentle silent nurse, that fostereth infant virtues; 
Humility bringeth no excuse; she is welcome to God and 
man; 

Her countenance is needful unto all who would prosper in 
either world; 

And the mild light of her sweet face is mirrored in the 
eyes of her companions 

And straightway stand they accepted, children of peni- 
tence and love.” 

It is no fancy that God resisteth the proud. 
" Pride goeth before destruction, and an 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

haughty spirit before a fall.” How true this in 
the case of the proud Pharaoh, the haughty 
Sennacherib, and the boastful king of Babylon. 
The story is told of one Simon Tourney, who, 
after he had excelled all his companions at Ox- 
ford in learning, and had become so eminent in 
Paris as to be made the chief doctor, grew so 
proud that while he considered Aristotle as su- 
perior to Moses and Christ, he regarded him as 
only equal to himself. He became such an 
idiot at length as not to know one letter from 
another, or to understand anything he had ever 
done. 

“ The tower that rears its head so high, 

And bids defiance to the sky 
Invites the hostile winds.” 

Pride is not confined to the acknowledged 
wicked. The haughty spirit that goes before a 
fall is not always a child of worldly and material 
things. Many can readily see the folly of pride 
concerning social, or financial, or political, or 
physical achievements. At once we detect and 
condemn pride which is born of beauty, or 
strength, or wealth, or intellect; but there is a 
pride of heart that is even more dangerous to 
the Christian, and less easily detected — a pride 
of religion. There is such a thing as being 
proud of our humility. In such cases the pride 


Power and Precept 

is more in evidence than the humility. Hu- 
mility is like silence. When you begin to make 
ado over it, it is gone. But many become 
elated over their apparent success in religion. 
They boast of their piety, and their orthodoxy. 
Bunyan’s pilgrim became so exalted over his 
spiritual privileges on the Delectable mountain 
that he found it difficult to come down into the 
valley of Humiliation. The words of Paul are 
in point here: “I say, through the grace given 
unto me, to every man that is among you, not to 
think of himself more highly than he ought to 
think.” “ Not he that commendeth himself is 
approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.” 

In Christianity, humility is of first impor- 
tance. Augustine was once asked: “What is 
the first thing in religion?” He promptly and 
earnestly replied, “ Humility.” “ What is the 
second thing?” “Humility.” “And what is 
the third?” the questioner asked. To which 
came the same answer: “ Humility.” 

Humility not only commends itself to us as a 
virtue, but God enjoins it as a duty. His order 
is: “Be clothed with humility.” “Humble 
yourselves therefore, under the mighty hand of 
God.” The whole life and work of Christ set 
forth humility in ideal. Even nature teaches 
the grace and dignity of this virtue; 

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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

“ The bird that soars on highest wing, 

Builds on the ground her lowly nest; 

And she that doth most sweetly sing, 

Sings in the shade when all things rest.” 

“ In lark and nightingale we see 
What honor hath humility.” 

Since therefore, we have seen something of 
the nature of humility, we scarcely need ask 
what relation humility bears to spiritual power. 
It is self-evident that if humility gives a Chris- 
tian favor with God and men it is essential, not 
only in securing, but also in exercising power. 
The humble Christian is the one whom God 
can honor and use. “ Whosoever will be great 
among you, let him be your minister; and who- 
soever will be chief among you, let him be your 
servant.” Paul was a man whom God greatly 
honored and used. He was a man who served 
the Lord with all humility of mind. He felt 
that he was the “ chief ” of sinners and God 
honored him as chief of the apostles. He 
“ humbled himself under the mighty hand of 
God” and God exalted him in due time. 

Just so long as Christian people feel independ-. 
ent and confident because of their “ physical 
strength in numbers,” their powers of “ organi- 
zation,” their “ wealth,” or “ education,” or “re- 
ligious reputation,” the Master cannot honor 
them in any special way. “ The people are too 
many for Me to give the Midianites into their 
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Power and Precept 

hands, lest they vaunt themselves against Me, 
saying: Mine own hand hath saved me.” (Jud. 
7:2.) A Christian soldier and poet has written 
for our own special use a campaign song (Ps. 
44 : 6-8 ) , the sentiment of which, when woven into 
our hearts, fits us for the reception and use of 
spiritual power: 

“ No trust will I place in my bow to defend, 

Nor yet on my sword for safety depend. 

In God who has saved us and put them to shame 
We boast all the day, ever praising His name.” 

To God belongs the praise. When the people 
of Lystra with the priests of Jupiter assay to 
offer sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, at once 
comes the cry: “ Sirs, why do ye these things? 
We also are men of like passions with you, and 
preach unto you that you should turn from 
these vanities unto the living God, which made 
heaven and earth and the sea and all things 
that are therein.” Here God is honored by the 
humility of His servants. In turn, God gives 
them grace and power to do greater works and 
suffer greater things. How different the con- 
duct and treatment of Herod! He was stricken 
immediately by the angel of the Lord because 
he gave not God the glory when the people 
shouted, saying: “ It is the voice of a god and 
not of a man.” Verily God resisteth the 
proud and giveth grace to the humble. “ Be- 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

fore honor is humility.” “ By humility and 
the fear of the Lord, are riches and honor and 
life.” If these are by humility can we expect 
the “more abundant life” without humility? 
Surely not. 

It is impossible for God to use and honor a 
haughty servant. This is one of the things 
that God cannot do. He can humble the serv- 
ant and then use him. And where God has 
use for us He will humble us if we do not heed 
the word and “ Humble ourselves under the 
mighty hand of God.” “ Though the Lord be 
high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly; but 
the proud He knoweth afar off.” (Ps. 139:6.) 
The proud are known by the Lord but only at 
a distance. They never get near to God and, 
of course, are not in touch with the source of 
power. 

Not only to please God is humility necessary 
but also to fit us for the work to be done. Our 
fellow men are to be met. Even they, too, re- 
sist the proud. Nothing interferes so much 
with success in business -or acceptableness in 
society as the absence of humility, and certainly 
nothing is more unbecoming in a Christian. 
Humility specially fits for approaching fellow 
men in the interest of their souls. 

We are not surprised that Barnabas was se- 
lected to go to Antioch to look after the inter- 
174 : 


Power and Precept 

ests of the church there. He was humble. 
Although God had greatly honored him, he felt 
that he was a man of “ like passions ” with 
others. Indeed, it is said of him that, “ He was 
a good man” — not an angel, not a “gentleman”; 
but a man, with a man’s heart, and a man’s sym- 
pathy. He felt that others had rights as well 
as himself. He was not so proud of personal 
opinions and Jewish customs as to debar the 
Greeks from the gospel. He could see that hu- 
man souls were of more value than Jewish cus- 
toms. That Barnabas “ was a good man ap- 
pears in the kindness he showed Paul and Mark. 
Such goodness is born of humility — of a proper 
estimate of one’s own weakness and dependence. 
Again, the man who is “ full of faith,” as w r as 
Barnabas, is humble enough to be full of the 
Holy Ghost. Faith and repentance and humil- 
ity are fundamental conditions of spiritual power. 
Humility is a fruit of faith but a fruit that is 
necessary before the reception of the promised 
power. It might be said of humility, as of 
works: Show me thy faith without thy humil- 
ity, and I will show you my faith by my humil- 
ity. 

In further answering the question why hu- 
mility is necessary to the possession of this 
power, it may be noted that without it the nec- 
essary conditions before mentioned cannot be 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

met. The proud cannot pray aright for the 
promised power. Obedience to the will of God 
is not characteristic of the haughty spirit, nor 
will he who is self-confident “wait” on God’s 
time to grant the power. But Peterlike he goes 
in his own power. He feels no special need. 
Neither can such receive the promised powder. 
They are not prepared for it. Without humility 
it is impossible to receive spiritual power. 

Having thus answered the question as to the 
nature and necessity of humility for the secur- 
ing of spiritual power, our next inquiry is: 
How obtain and nourish it? 

The apostle gives us the key: “ Humble your- 
selves.” Not that it is in our power to rid our 
natures of all pride, worldly ambition and 
selfishness, but it is in our power to submit 
everything to God. Let Him have full posses- 
sion of our hearts. Then God exalts by giving 
us the victory over selfish pride and sinful am- 
bition. Where we do not have this humbling 
of self under the mighty hand of God, sooner 
or later there will be humbling by the “ mighty 
hand of God.” To humble ourselves is to ac- 
cept cheerfully the place of entire dependence 
on God. This involves the accepting of Jesus 
Christ for salvation, which alone can place us in 
position to receive “all things” from God. 
Here is the explanation of the words, “ Be 
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Power and Precept 

clothed with humility.” “ Put ye on the Lord 
Jesus Christ” includes all that being clothed 
with humility implies. The Lord Jesus Christ 
is the embodiment of humility. 

To be clothed with humility is to be clad for 
every kind of Christian service. It is being 
girt with a towel to “ wash one another’s feet”; it 
is an “armor of light” in time of darkness; it 
is a “ coat of mail ” in time of temptation; and 
a “ robe of honor,” — a royal robe for all occasions. 

“ Be clothed with humility.” Let it cover 
your whole life — public and private; at home 
and abroad; in business and pleasure. Let it 
be your every-day costume. It is expensive, 
but it is worth more than all it costs. The 
price is getting down from the heights of self' 
esteem and bowing at the feet of Jesus; but it 
must be paid. 

It is said that a bishop who much disliked 
the pride of the archbishop would often exhort 
him to humility in these words: “Christ had 
never dined with Zaccheus had he not first 
yielded to come down from the sycamore^tree.” 
This is what makes the new suit expensive — it 
is coming down. Our natural hearts would 
gladly pay millions for this suit and what it 
represents. But alas! how many refuse to pay 
the price of selfesteem and personal impor- 
tance. 


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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

It is bowing down in ashes, the mourning 
with heaviness of heart because of our former 
pride and obstinacy, that makes the expense so 
great. Oh, reader, pay the price! Get down in 
self, that you may get up in Christ. 

Another feature of this robe of humility is 
that only those who are in service are entitled 
to wear it. Just as our postal system furnishes 
suits for its servants, so Christ, our Master, pro- 
vides the costume, humility , for His servants. 
Not as remuneration for the service, but as a 
sign of surrender to His rule and authority. 
Others who may don this vesture are imposters. 
They have no title to it. The wearing of it can 
be only temporary. 

The genuine abiding humility is secured by a 
constant sense of dependence on, and obligation 
to, God. This is the fruit of earnest and un- 
ceasing prayer to God. As one has said: “ Be 
always inwardly longing, and earnestly praying 
this one prayer to God; that of His goodness He 
would make known to you, and take from your 
heart, every kind, and form, and degree of pride, 
whether it be from evil spirits, or from your 
own corrupt nature; and that He would awaken 
in you the deepest depth and truth of that hu- 
mility which can make you capable of His light 
and Holy Spirit.” 

As a means to humility it is good to here 


Power and Precept 

compare ourselves with others. If any seem 
wise, let him go to Solomon; if any boast of 
strength, let him look up the record of Samson; 
if any are skilled in music, consider David; if 
any seem proficient in law and statesmanship, 
study Moses. Are you proud of your faith, con- 
sider whether it will stand a test like that of 
Abraham. If young men and women find their 
beauty a source of pride, remember Absalom 
and Esther. Or if you are puffed up over your 
meekness, remember the meekness of Moses. Is 
it money that makes you proud, think of the 
wealth of Solomon and Lot and Job. Is any 
congregation proud of its building, its choir, its 
fame, or its wealth, compare these with the 
temple, with Jerusalem, beautiful for situation, 
and Zion, of which glorious things are spoken. 

When we compare our talents and achieve- 
ments with those of others we are more ready to 
adopt the spirit of the great naturalist, Cuvier: 
One day, while discussing a question in anatomy, 
a student interrupted him in his conversation by 
saying: “Monsieur le Baron.” “There is no 
baron here,” replied Cuvier. “ There are two 
students seeking truth and bowing down only to 
her.” Another illustration appears in a saying of 
Patrick Henry expressed at a Charlotte election. 
In the midst of a great ovation, a Baptist min- 
ister said: “Why thus follow him, he is no 
179 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

god ?” Whereupon Henry, being deeply affected 
by both the scene and the remark, said: “No 
indeed, my friend, I am but a poor worm of the 
dust, as fleeting and unsubstantial as the shadow 
of the cloud that flies over yon field and is re- 
membered no more.” 

It is good also to compare ourselves with the 
other works of God. The psalmist puts it in 
plain and brief terms: “The heavens declare 
the glory of God.” “The law of the Lord is 
perfect,” but “ Who can understand his errors?’ 
Is it not humiliating to be placed along side of 
Nature and Revelation in such marked con- 
trast? These so perfect, doing their work so 
well; and man so imperfect that his defects can- 
not be estimated. Compare our own finite 
minds and feeble bodies and brief lives with the 
wisdom and power and eternity of God, and it 
w’ould seem as if the words, “Humble your- 
selves,” were useless. Man knows some things 
after he has been taught. All things are naked 
and open to the eyes of God. Man has a little 
strength, but God “weigheth the mountains.” 
Man’s days are but a span, “ God is from ever- 
lasting to everlasting.” The Rev. Andrew 
Murray, in that excellent little book on humil- 
ity, says: “There are three great motives that 
urge us to humility. It becomes me as a 
creature, as a sinner, as a saint. The first we 
180 


Power and Precept 

see in the heavenly hosts, in unfallen man, in 
Jesus as the Son of man. The second appeals 
to us in our fallen state, and points out the 
only way through which we can return to our 
right place as creatures. In the third we have 
the mystery of grace, which teaches us that as 
we lose ourselves in the overwhelming great- 
ness of redeeming love humility becomes to us 
the consummation of everlasting blessedness and 
adoration,” 


181 



PART III. 

Power and Prophecy 

OR 


Power and its Predicted Product. 


















































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IX. 

THE PREDICTED PRODUCT. 


“ I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily , 
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon .” — Hos. 14: 5. 

In the first five chapters we considered, 
“ Power and Promise ” as is set forth in Acts 
1:8: “Ye shall receive power.” In the next 
three, “ Power and Precept,” or the three funda- 
mental conditions to spiritual power. The aim 
in this closing chapter shall be to discuss briefly 
the foretold effects of the Spirit on the church, 
or, as the preceding chapters have been written 
in answer to the questions, Who? What? How? 
and Why? this one shall be to answer the inter- 
rogative, Whither? The text before us will 
serve as a basis for our discussion of the out- 
come of the promised power. 

The several letters of the word power will 
again serve to introduce our five principle divi- 
sions. The first of which is a consideration of 
the 

PROPHECY. 

As to its primary application: Israel had fallen 
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Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

by his iniquity. (Hos. 14:1.) The nature of 
the iniquity appears in the confession to be 
made on returning, “ Asshur shall not save us; 
we will not ride upon horses; neither will we 
say any more to the work of our hands: Ye are 
our gods.” (Hos. 14:3.) The great sin of 
Israel was idolatry, with its accompanying evils 
of falsehood and drunkenness and uncleanness. 
(Hos. 7:5.) Turning away from God they had 
looked to Assyria and Egypt for help, until it 
was said : “ Strangers have devoured his strength, 
and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here 
and there upon him.” Wickedness was so great 
in Samaria among the rulers, and in Ephraim 
(Hos. 7:1), among the people that the Lord 
saw evidence of decay as marked as grey hairs 
on the natural head, and as unmistakable signs 
of decline. But still in God there is mercy. 
He stands, like the father of the prodigal, with 
outstretched hands to receive graciously His 
penitent Israel. The picture of judgment, 
shown by the thorns, thistles and nettles 
threatened against rebellious Israel, finds its 
counterpart in the offer of mercy, set forth by 
the vine, the corn and wine. The familiar 
words of our text embody a promise of God’s 
favor to Israel. As the natural dew in the 
eastern country is the source of life to the lily 
and the trees of Lebanon, so is the favor of God 
186 


Power and Prophecy 

to returning Israel. And there is more in the 
text — its prophetic significance. 

Israel means to-day the Christian church. 
The goodness of God promised to Israel in the 
words, “I will be as the dew,” finds its New 
Testament fulfilment in the words of our Lord: 
“Ye shall receive power after that the Holy 
Ghost is come upon you.” The same truth is 
declared by another prophet: “I will pour My 
Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon 
thine offspring, and they shall spring up as 
among the grass, as willows by the water 
courses.” (Isa. 44:3,4.) In the prophecy of 
Joel (2:28) the figurative and poetic form 
gives place to the direct statement: “I will pour 
out My Spirit upon all flesh,” which prophecy 
Peter assures us (Acts 2:16) was fulfilled in 
the realization, by the early church, of the pro- 
mise: “Ye shall receive power.” How often the 
Scriptures represent the gracious influence and 
work of God’s Spirit by “ dew.” The prophet, 
in predicting the resurrection of the dead, says: 
“ Awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust, for 
thy dew is as the dew of herbs.” Moses declared : 
“ My doctrine shall drop as the rain, My speech 
shall distil as the dew.” So frequently is this 
figurative and spiritual use of the word employed 
we are persuaded that as the rain and dew 
descend from heaven and water the earth, giv- 
187 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

ing life, growth, and beauty to the lily, and vest- 
ing the mighty trees of the forests with new 
vigor and strength and durability, so the Spirit 
of God begets life and growth, beauty and 
strength in His church. This leads us to con- 
sider the 

OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 

First, as to means. With the Christian church, 
as with Israel of old, it is true that nearness to 
God is absolutely necessary to the enjoyment of 
His favor. She must turn to the Lord and say 
unto Him: “Take away all iniquity and re- 
ceive us graciously.” She must not depend on 
physical strength in numbers, nor on organiza- 
tion, nor wealth, nor education, nor on religious 
reputation. She must say: “ Asshur shall not 
save us, we will not ride upon horses.” In this 
particular the church of to-day surely needs to 
return to the Lord. “ Ephraim had hired 
lovers,” and “ strangers had devoured his 
strength.” He must return unto the Lord and 
cease to pay tribute to foreign powers. So with 
the visible church to-day. Strangers are de- 
vouring her strength. Organizations and clubs, 
under the guise of charity and sociability, re- 
ceive their monthly and annual tribute from the 
church, and to meet the deficit to the Lord, 
her rightful sovereign, she turns to the world to 
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Power and Prophecy 

hire lovers with festival and entertainment. So 
long as the tobacco and chewing gnm and kid 
glove and wine-supper and fine turmout ac- 
counts of the church exceed her missionary 
contributions by thousands, it is evident that 
strangers are devouring her strength. In finan- 
cial matters, the church must honor God, as well 
as in spiritual matters. “ Honor the Lord with 
thy substance.” “ Acknowledge Him in all thy 
ways.” There must be a complete return to God, 
by the church as a body, and by the individuals 
constituting such a body, if His favor is to be 
enjoyed. 

That He may especially bless His church or 
His child, God often chastises them with perse- 
cution and affliction. Obedience is necessary to 
secure the fulness of the Spirit. By means of 
affliction comes obedience. The psalmist testi- 
fies: “ It is good for me that I have been 
afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes.” 
“ Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now 
have I kept Thy word.” 

By this means the Spirit of God comes to the 
church and to the individual. Whom the Lord 
loveth He chasteneth, and scourge th every son 
whom He receiveth. Otherwise we are unable 
to account for the afflictions and persecutions 
to which the people of God are subjected. As 
a refiner of silver, He sits purifying our souls. 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

that we may offer unto Him an offering in 
righteousness. In this way the church is made 
pure within, and divested of all outward defects. 
The indifferent, lukewarm, and merely nominal 
Christians are turned away. They go out from 
her because they are not of her. The church, 
then, as the wheat separated from the chaff, or 
like Job of old, “tried,” comes forth as gold. 
It has ever been the history of the church that 
through persecution the Holy Spirit has oper- 
ated in beautifying and strengthening her. 
Through persecution in Jerusalem the Spirit 
spread the church into Samaria and Judea. 

But a still greater means through which the 
Spirit of God operates, is the loord. Not the 
enticing words of man’s wisdom, but His own 
word, has God honored as the instrument of 
His Spirit. It goeth forth as a messenger of 
mercy, giving life and beauty, energy and 
power, to the Israel of God. “ For as the 
rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, 
and returneth not thither, but watereth the 
earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, that 
it may give seed to the sower and bread to the 
eater; so shall My word be that goeth forth out 
of My mouth. It shall not return unto Me void, 
but it shall accomplish that which I please and 
shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” 
It is true that “ The Spirit of God rides most 
190 


Power and Prophecy 

triumphantly in His own chariot.” Of all the 
means by which the Spirit operates on the 
church, none has He honored more than His 
word. It is His sword. 

Christ prays: “ Sanctify them through Thy 
truth.” The word is the instrument of the 
Spirit in cleansing and beautifying the church. 
The Holy Spirit makes the word quick and pow- 
erful and sharper than a two-edged sword. The 
word “burns in the heart” only when wielded 
by Him. “ He maketh the reading, but espe- 
cially the preaching of the word, an effectual 
means of convincing and converting sinners, 
and of building them up in holiness and com- 
fort through faith unto salvation. 

Through the word our spiritual natures are 
fed. By the Holy Spirit it becomes the “ meat 
and drink ” of the church. To withhold the 
word is to rob the Spirit of His chosen means, 
and the church of her life-giving power. 
When, at the prayer of Elijah, the doors of 
heaven were closed for the space of three and 
onedialf years, Palestine, that land of milk and 
honey, was scourged with drought and famine. 
But the man of God prayed again, and the 
earth, baptized by rain from heaven, revived 
and brought forth fruit. How much more serious 
the spiritual drought and famine in the church 
when the word is withheld! Feed her with 
191 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

moral essays ; teach her principles of science, in- 
struct her children in the rules of etiquette, 
overflow her walls with polite literature, and 
yet she becomes as the sandy Sahara. But in- 
struct her children in the word that “ liveth 
and abideth forever,” teach her members that 
the law was given by Moses, and that grace and 
truth came by Jesus Christ, and through the 
vitalizing energy of the word, under the quick- 
ening power of the Spirit, the church revives 
and grows beautiful as the lily, and strikes 
forth her roots as Lebanon. 

Second, as to manner. The record is that, 
“ Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as 
of a mighty rushing wind.” (Acts 2:2.) There 
came a sound and that suddenly, that all in the 
house might know that the “ promise of the 
Father ” had been fulfilled. Having come sud- 
denly and audibly, the Holy Spirit abides to do 
His work gradually and silently. As the forces 
of nature operate in nourishing and sustaining 
the natural life, so does the Spirit of God work 
in His kingdom. 

Gradually as the moisture and nutriment 
enter the roots and trunk and limbs and go 
even to the tip of the topmost leaf, so He perme- 
ates the whole church. In like manner the in- 
dividual receives this power of the Spirit. It 
has been observed that a cistern can be filled 

192 


Power and Prophecy 

with water as surely by letting in little drops 
as by pouring in great hogsheads. In the 
words of Dr. Chapman: “He will, doubtless, 
begin in some little way to manifest His pres- 
ence, just as it were, drop by drop. To-day a 
new pathos in the voice, to=morrow a new touch 
of the hand, and so on, day by day, till His 
presence in all its fulness will be a blessed 
reality.” 

The Spirit is gradual and silent in His opera- 
tions. 

Next, what of His 

WORK, OR RESULTS? 

Our text declares the work, or effects on the 
church. “He shall grow as the lily and cast 
forth his roots as Lebanon.” The growth of 
the lily is rapid and beautiful. When the 
promised power is received by the Christian 
church the fulfilment of this prediction begins 
at once. The record of Pentecost is that there 
were “ added unto them during that day about 
three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41.) And, to 
follow up the early history, this rapidity of 
growth is marked in almost every chapter of the 
Acts. In chapter 4: 4 it is said, “The number 
of men came to be about five thousand; 5:14, 
“Added to the Lord multitudes of both men and 
women”; 6: 7, “The number of the disciples 
193 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly, and a 
great number of the priests were obedient to the 
faith,” Chapter 9: 35 says: “ And all that dwelt 
at Lydda and in Saron saw Him, and they 
turned to the Lord.” When the raising of Dor- 
cas by Peter became known throughout all 
Joppa, “many believed on the Lord.” (9: 42.) 

When the dispersed came to Antioch and spake 
unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus, 
“A great number believed and turned unto the 
Lord.” (11: 21.) The first verse of the four- 
teenth chapter tells us that, “A great multitude 
both of Jews and Greeks believed.” In 16: 5 
we learn that “ The churches increased in num- 
ber daily.” The rapidity of the growth appears 
when we compare the 120 of the upper room 
with the 500,000 her estimated membership at 
the close of the first century. 

There is beauty in the lily as well as rapid 
growth, and the beauty of the churcn is a prod- 
uct of the Spirit as truly as is the rapidity of 
growth. The beauty of the church increases 
with the “refreshing” of the Spirit of God. 
Not that from age to age the church structures 
shall become more magnificent, nor that her 
courts shall be thronged with more splendid 
audiences, clothed in gorgeous apparel; but that 
collectively and individually she shall become 
more pleasing in the sight of God. She shall 
194 


Power and Prophecy 

be what God designed her to be, as a bride 
adorned for her husband: adorned with that 
beauty peculiar to her nature. 

All nature is marked with beauty, but to 
every phase of nature there is a peculiar beauty. 
The beauty of one landscape consists in its 
broad prairies rising into the distant mountains 
and blending into the sky. Another is beauti- 
ful because of its luxuriant meadows blending 
into the oval shaped hills and watered by the 
crystal brooks. A beauty peculiar to the 
ocean is the tossing of her majestic waves into 
the glorious light of the noonday sun. The 
blue canopy of heaven with her myriad stars by 
night and crowned wfith the tabernacle of the 
sun by day presents another beauty. One has 
said: ‘‘There is beauty in the human face 
divine. And here we find one beauty in the 
fair face of woman and beauty of a rougher 
cast in the countenance of man.” But different 
from and, superior to all these varied 
beauties, is the beauty of holiness. Not all the 
beauty of nature and art combined can equal 
that of the redeemed — the body of Christ. We 
may consider this beauty in its 

EXHIBITION. 

The beauty of the church is seen in her out- 
ward activity and consistency. Herein is the 

195 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

image of Christ reflected. Can her outward 
beauty find a better expression than in these? 
His life was active and consistent. The ques- 
tion of His youth: “ Wist ye not that I must 
be about My Father’s business?” breaths the 
spirit of His whole life. To reflect His image, 
the church must be diligent in doing His work. 
Christian activity is Christlike. It is feeding 
and clothing the poor, visiting the sick, teach- 
ing the ignorant, and bringing or sending the 
gospel to those in darkness. 

The fairest pages in the history of Christen- 
dom are those recording the missionary efforts 
of the church. From the sending out of the 
" twelve ” and the “ other seventy ” to the going 
forth of Carey, Judson, Mills and Paton the 
strength and beauty of the church have been 
exhibited in her activity. The effort to ad- 
vance the kingdom of Christ adorns His body, 
the church. 

As is activity, so is consistency in action and 
life an element of the beauty of the church. 
The great abomination of the Pharisees was 
their boasted profession — their adhering to the 
letter and ignoring the spirit of the law. When 
the letter of the law is the greatest depth of life 
and action, the moral and spiritual complexion 
is devoid of beauty. There must be obedience 
to the spirit of the law and sincerity in the 
196 


Power and Prophecy- 

heart corresponding to the profession, as well as 
a correspondence between the profession and the 
action. Otherwise the picture of the prophet is 
a true one: “They sit before Thee as Thy 
people and hear Thy words, but they will not do 
them, for with their mouth they show much 
love, but their heart goeth after their covetous- 
ness.” Consistency is a jewel indeed when grac- 
ing the brow of the church. “ Pretty is that 
pretty does,” is just as true of the church as of 
the child. Not the recital of the petitions, 
“ Hallowed be Thy name,” “ Thy kingdom come,” 
“ Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven ”; 
but the reverencing of the name, the doing of 
the will, and the seeking of the interests of the 
kingdom, constitute the outward beauty which 
is the product of the Spirit. As was said of 
Jerusalem when aroused to activity and consist- 
ency, “ Thou wast exceedingly beautiful, thy 
renown went forth among the heathen for thy 
beauty,” so it may be affirmed of the church of 
Christ in this dispensation of the Spirit. 

This external beauty of activity and consist- 
ency has a corresponding internal beauty of 
purity and peace. A beauty no less the product 
of the Spirit. It is this inward beauty of peace 
and purity that makes the church pleasing in 
the sight of God. The “ outward appearance ” 
does not satisfy Him. He sees not as man seeth. 

197 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

That He looketh upon the heart, is as true of 
the church as of the individual. The worship 
of the church should be such as God has ap- 
pointed in His word — a worship directed to the 
Godhead, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit; 
a worship divested of all superstitious, idola- 
trous and unwarranted motives and methods. 

That the church may be pure within, her 
members must be pure in life. Purity is the 
prime element of the kingdom. The Lord Him- 
self is pure. He charges His angels with folly. 
The church is expected to be holy, just as He 
is holy. Christ’s work is to redeem us from all 
iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar 
people; to present the church as a chaste virgin. 
This work is the product of His Spirit, because 
God has from the beginning chosen her unto 
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit. 
This sanctification through the Spirit removes 
all guile, and malice, and corruption. 

The psalmist (Ps. 15: 1-5) presents a remark- 
able picture of the church^member chosen unto 
salvation through sanctification of the Spirit — 
the member who is pure in life: 

Oh, Jehovah, who shall dwell 
In the temple of Thy grace, 

Who shall on Thy holy hill 
Have a fixed abiding place. 

He who walks in righteousness 
All his actions just and clear; 

198 


Power and Prophecy 

He whose words the truth express 
Spoken from a heart sincere; 

He who ne’er with slandering tongue 
Utters malice and deceit. 

Who will ne’er his neighbor wrong 
Nor a slanderous tale repeat; 

Who the impious will spurn, 

Honor those that fear the Lord; 

Though he to his loss have sworn 
Will not break his plighted word; 

Who no usury will claim, 

Nor with bribes pollute his hand, 

He who thus his life shall frame 
Shall unmoved forever stand. 

How beautiful the church when the life of 
every member shall conform to this pattern! 

Another product of the work of the Spirit 
is peace. A peaceful church is a beautiful 
church. There is a remarkable difference be- 
tween a peaceful and a peaceable church. The 
church may be peaceable and yet lack the 
beauty of the peaceful. In relation to the out- 
side world the church may be very peaceable — 
no waging of war against the evils of intemper- 
ance and Sabbath desecration, or other forms of 
organized wickedness; and at the same time be 
void of peace within. The Spiribfilled church, 
beautiful in the sight of God, has peace within 
and war without. This is the Christlike church; 
for He came not to send peace on the earth but 
a sword. Yet among those who fight under His 
banner, Christ would have peace, united effort 
199 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

and brotherly love. Such is the condition of 
the church predicted in those immortal words: 
(Ps. 133:1.) 

“ Behold how good a thing it is, 

And how becoming well, 

Together snch as brethren are 
In unity to dwell.” 

Not necessarily unity of organization, but 
unity of spirit. 

The Christian church, to-day, by the power 
and through the sanctification of the Spirit, is 
full of peace. While there are different denomi- 
nations there is practically one church. The 
dwelling together in unity means not the unify- 
ing of thought and profession but the sub- 
mission to one Spirit. As in a family, all the 
members have different names, and vary in dis- 
position and temperament, but are one by the 
bond of family love; or as the various members 
of the body differ in form and perform different 
functions yet are held together in beautiful 
symmetry by one influence — life; so the church 
by the power of the Spirit is one and full of 
peace. 

It is said that in the Komish school the defi- 
nition of beauty was “ multitude in unity,” and 
this is doubtless the true idea of beauty in the 
church; the whole church ruled and moved by 
the one Spirit. This is not only the predicted 
200 


Power and Prophecy 

but the actual product of the Spirit’s work, 
that they may be all one in Christ, the glorious 
head, and that they may grow up unto Him in 
all things, till they all come in the unity of faith, 
and knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect 
man , unto the measure of the stature of the ful- 
ness of Christ.” 

Thus we have seen the indwelling effect of 
the promised Spirit. It is growth in beauty and 
strength. The exhibition of these has been con- 
sidered. What of their 

EOOTS? 

Israel is to grow as the lily — a rapid and 
beautiful growth. Also he is to cast forth his 
roots as Lebanon. The growth of the church 
under the influence of the Spirit is not for a 
time — as the lily — but a growth to be perpet- 
uated. Durability and strength are at once sug- 
gested by the words, “ casting forth his roots as 
Lebanon.” Solomon’s glory came short of that 
of the lily, but the beauty of the church under 
the power of the Spirit is “ as the lily.” Hjs 
glory vanished, but that of the church shall 
endure. The church by her triple roots of 
faith , love and hope, silently, but surely and con- 
stantly, receives strength from the never failing 
source. As by the refreshing of the Spirit she 
grows in beauty, by so much does she develop 
201 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

in strength. It is by faith and love and hope 
that the Spirit comes to her in His reviving, 
refreshing power; and, in turn, by the blessing 
of the Spirit, her faith and love and hope are 
strengthened. It is faith in Christ that gives 
strength and durability to the church. Like 
the anchor in time of storm, says one, which, let 
fall, passeth through the water and billows, stay- 
eth not till it reacheth the bottom and graspeth 
the solid earth ; so faith stays the church that it 
is not dashed on the rocks of infidelity. 

“ They in the Lord that firmly trust 
Shall be like Zion hill, 

Which at no time can be removed, 

But standeth ever still.” 

Love for the Master is another root which, 
strengthened by the Spirit of God, adds to the 
durability of the church. Human love is no 
feeble bond. The love of home, of friends, of 
the mother for her child, is a bond of strength; 
but in that love for the Master where friends and 
homes and fathers and mothers are forsaken, 
there is unspeakable strength. This love frees 
from the bondage of earth, and fleshly ties. The 
work of the Spirit is to develop this love, and by 
it to unite the whole body of Christians to one 
another and to Christ. Herein is strength; for 
“ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 
Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or 
202 


Power and Prophecy 

famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Nay, in 
all these things we are more than conquerors 
through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded 
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor 
any other creature shall be able to separate us 
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus 
our Lord.” 

Combined and interwoven with faith and love 
is a third element of strength, viz. — hope. 
While the centuries pass by, the words of the 
angels are still ringing in the ears of the church: 
“ This same Jesus shall so come in like manner 
as ye have seen Him go into heaven.” As by 
the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 
the Father hath begotten us again unto a 
“ lively hope,” so by this promise that He shall 
again come is begotten a blessed hope. It is 
the hope of seeing Him as He is. “ And every 
one that hath this hope in him purifieth him- 
self even as He is pure,” The Holy Spirit, 
taking of the things of Christ and showing them 
unto us, strengthens this hope, till it proves to 
be as an anchor of the soul, both “ sure and 
steadfast,” and which “ entereth within the 
veil.” 

How binding the obligation accompanying 
these precepts: “ Kepent ye and believe the gos- 
203 


Memory Talks on Spiritual Power 

pel.” “ Humble yourselves,” and “ Be clothed 
with humility.” And what unspeakable joy 
as we see the fulfilling of that prediction: “I 
will be as the dew unto Israel, he shall grow as 
the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.” 
How great the assurance and encouragement by 
reason of that promise: “Ye shall receive 
power.” “ Take ye the Holy Spirit,” is still the 
personal, practical, emphatic message of our 
risen, reigning, returning Lord to you and to me. 

204 : 


INDEX. 


Abner 




• 


161 

Abraham 



• 



137 

Affliction, agent of Holy Spirit . 




• 


189 

Africa, woman of ... 



• 



96 

Altoona, view from bridge of 






52 

Aquinas, Thomas and The Pope . 



• 



36 

Aquila and Priscilla .... 





# 

19 

Arthur, William, quoted . 

• 




. 24, 43 

Athens 






55 

Augustine, quoted .... 

• 





171 

Barnabas 




43, 136, 

175 

Buchanan, Dr., quoted 

• 





162 

Bunyan ...... 





• 

171 

Bushnell, quoted .... 






40 

Canaan ... . . 





# 

137 

Chapman, Dr. J. W., quoted . 





111, 

193 

Christ, the gospel .... 





. 

124 

Christian, the, A fisherman 






65 

Church : 







Activity of 






195 

Beauty of 






194 

Consistency of ... 






196 

Durability of 




• 

. 

201 

Growth of 






193 

Officers of 




• 

. 

16 

Peace of 






199 

Purity of 




• 

. 

198 

Unity of 






200 

Church and the banker 




• 

. 

34 

“ “ faith .... 



• 



202 

“ “ hope .... 




• 

. 

203 

“ “ love .... 



• 



202 

“ “ money .... 





• 

189 

Cuvier 



• 



179 

David 





160, 

161 

Dew, meaning of ... 



• 



187 

Dorcas ...... 





. 

19 

Education 



• 



37 


205 


Index 


Education, value of 

# 






# 





38 

Educators 

• 





• 






21 

Educators, spiritual 

• 











22 

Engine, hydraulic . 

• 





• 






133 

Engines, welhequipped 

• 











53 

Enlightening power 

• 





• 






65 

“ “ indispensable 








69 

Enunciation of power 

. 



• 








77 

Expectation 

. 











109 

Faith: 













A fundamental 

. 



• 








123 

Connecting 

. 











136 

Exalting 

. 



• 








138 

Flowing river 

. 











139 

Gate=way to power 

. 











126 

Its nature 

. 










• 

123 

Its necessity 

. 











133 

Its object 

. 










• 

127 

Its power 

> 











132 

Its range 

. 










• 

127 

Its sign 

. 











139 

Its sincerity 

. 








• 


• 

130 

Its submission 

, 











129 

Medium of all power 

. 








• 



139 

More than belief 

. 











128 

Separating 

. 




• 




• 



136 

Faith and action 

, 











111 

“ “ plan of redemption 



• 




• 



135 

“ “ power 

. 










123, 

, 137 

“ “ promise 

. 




• 







125 

“ “ repentance 

. 









• 


123 

Geometry and unschooled man 










67 

Guthrie 










• 


163 

Haran 












137 

Henry, Patrick 

• 









• 


179 

Holy Spirit 

• 











187 

Manner of operating 












192 

Means of operating 

• 











188 

Work of 

# 



• 




• 




193 

Horton, Rev. T. A., quoted 











113 

Humility : 

9 



• 




• 




167 

A duty 

• 






• 


• 



174 

A virtue 

# 



• 




• 




169 

Defined 

# 






• 


• 


# 

168 


206 


Index 


Essential to power 

, # 


• 




172 

Its nutriment 

# # 


• 




176 

Instructor and student 







69 

Introduction .... 







9 

Israel, meaning of 







187 

Judgment Day, illustration of 

, # 






74 

Knox, John .... 






13, 

113 

Labor for Christ 







104 

Life, two modes of . 







115 

Love for Christ 







103 

Loyalty to Christ 

• « 






101 

Luther ..... 







13 

Michal 

• 






161 

Milton, quoted .... 







21 

Money not the power 

. 






35 

Murray, Andrew, quoted 






118, 

180 

Nehemiah and Sanballat 

# , 






30 

Niagara Falls .... 







13 

Numbers not 'he power . 

• # 






29 

Obedience .... 







97 

Officers of the Church 

, , 






16 

Qualification of 







17 

Selection of ... 







18 

Opportunities lost 







63 

Paul at Athens 

. 






55 

Paul witnessing 







60 

Peter witnessing 

♦ • 






59 

Persecution, an agent of the Holy Spirit 






189 

Phaltiel .... 

• • 






161 

Philips Academy and the young man 






38 

Phonograph entertainment 







68 

Plutarch 







141 

Poweb: according to work 

. 






26 - 

Effective .... 







54 

Need of .... 

. 


• 




51 

Operating .... 







50 

Origin of ... 

• • 


• 




27 

Persons to receive 







13 

Planning .... 

. 


• 




46 

Professing and persevering . 







44 

Rewarding .... 

. 


• 




70 

Source of .... 







42 

Watching .... 

. 


• 




61* 

Witnessing 




» 



58 


207 


Index 


Power and education not antagonistic 


• 




40 

“ “ precept 


• 





123 

“ “ promise 



• 




13 

“ “ prophecy 


• 





185 

“ “ receiving . 







94 

“ “ waiting 







105 

“ “ wealth 







33 

Prayer ...... 







94 

Preachers 







14 

Pbomise : 





• 


78 

Extraordinary in announcement 







86 

“ “ fitness 







87 

Pertinent as to time 







78 

“ “ “ use 







79 

Official 







80 

Reliable 







91 

Wise 







83 

Reformers’ need of power 







23 

Repentance: Antecedent elements 

of 






147 

Commanded . • 







154 

Consequent elements of 







147 

Fundamental principle of 

• 






147 

Godward side of ... 






145, 

150 

Human side of ... 






145, 

147 

Intensive 







146 

Nature of .... 







145 

Necessity of .... 






• 

152 

Sign of 






• 

158 

Specific 







146 

Summary of ... 






• 

151 

Repentance and communion with God 





• 

156 

“ “ favor of God . 







155 

“ “ power 






• 

145 

“ “ prodigal 






• 

149 

“ “ service of God 






• 

155 

“ “ spiritual blessings 







157 

Reputation and power 







40 

Saul 






48, 

161 

“Secret of Happy Life” 






• 

58 

“Take My Life” 






• 

155 

Testimony of the life 






• 

162 

“ “ “ Spirit . 






• 

162 

“ “ “ Word 






• 

165 

“ Three ciphers,” story of 





# 

• 

29 

Torrey, Rev. R. A., quoted 






• 

157 


208 


Index 


Tourney, Simon 170 

Witnessing a duty 61 

“ “ privilege 61 

Women, Christian . 19 

Word, instrument of the Spirit .... 190 

Workers 18 

Workings of power 44 

Work outlined 46 

209 


SCRIPTURAL INDEX, 


Num. 23: 19 . 




91 

Jno. 3: 5 . . 

. . 44 

Judg. 7:2 




173 

Jno. 5: 14, 15 

. . 112 

Ps. 15: 1-5 . 




198 

Jno. 7: 38 . . 

. . 125 

Ps. 41: 6-8 . 




173 

Jno. 7: 39 . . 

. . 89 

Ps. 127: 1 . . 




58 

Jno. 14: 16, 17 

. 90, 101 

Ps. 133: 1 . . 




200 

Jno. 14: 26 

66, 81, 82 

Ps. 139: 6 . . 




174 

Jno. 15: 7 . . 

. 41, 101 

Isa. 11: 2, 3 . 




67 

Jno. 15: 8, 16 

. . 104 

Isa. 44: 3, 4, 5 



17, 

187 

Jno. 15: 14 

. . 163 

Isa. 65: 7 . . 




146 

Jno. 15: 26, 27 

. 59, 81 

Isa. 57: 15 . 




167 

Jno. 16: 5 . . 

. . 81 

Ezek. 36: 27 . 




164 

Jno. 16: 2, 5, 7 

. 78, 79 

Hos. 7:1.. 




186 

Jno. 16: 7 . . 

81, 91, 111 

Hos. 7:5. . 




186 

Jno. 16: 10 . 

. . 66 

Hos. 14: 1 . . 




186 

Jno. 18: 27 

. . 70 

Hos. 14: 3 . . 




186 

Jno. 20: 22 

. . 115 

Hos. 14:5 . . 




185 

Jno. 21: 22 

. . 100 

Joel 2: 28 . . 




187 

Acts 1:4 . . 

. 81, 105 

Micah. 3: 8 . 




60 

Acts 1:8 . . 

. . 61 

Matt. 5: 12 . 




72 

Acts 1: 14 

. 97, 109 

Matt. 5: 16 . 




15 

Acts 2: 2 . . 

. . 192 

Matt. 10:16 . 




79 

Acts 2: 17, 18 

. . 82 

Matt. 14: 8 . 




83 

Acts 2: 22, 23 

. . 60 

Matt. 16: 24 . 




99 

Acts 2: 33 

. . 82 

Matt. 24: 69-74 




59 

Acts 2: 38 . . 

82, 83, 147 

Matt. 28: 18, 20 




92 

Acts 2: 41 . . 

. . 193 

Mark 1: 15 



• 

123 

Acts 3: 19 . . 

. . 147 

Mark 9: 23 . 



• 

91 

Acts 4:4 . . 

. . 193 

Mark 11: 24 . 



• 

112 

Acts 4: 13 . . 

. . 37 

Mark 16: 15 . 




46 

Acts 4: 31-33 

. . 59 

Luke 4: 18-21 




81 

Acts 5: 14 . . 

. . 193 

Luke 9: 62 




100 

Acts 5: 32 . . 

59, 87, 115 

Luke 10: 13 . 




79 

Acts 5: 37 . . 

. . 98 

Luke 11: 9 . 



• 

96 

Acts 5: 41 . . 

. . 70 

Luke 11: 13 . 



• 

94 

Acts 6:7 . . 

. . 193 

Luke 24: 25 . 



• 

65 

Acts 8: 14-17 

. . 45 

Luke 24: 49 . 



59, 

105 

Acts 8: 15-17 

. . 97 

Jno. 1:1 . . 



• 

81 

Acts 9: 35 . . 

. . 194 

Jno. 1: 14 . . 



• 

81 

Acts 9: 42 . . 

. . 194 


210 


Scriptural Index 


Acts 11: 21 . . 


• 

194 

2 Cor. 13: 4 . 

• 


• 

164 

Acts 11: 24 . . 


• 

136 

Gal. 3: 13, 14 . 

• 


• 

126 

Acts 11: 25 . . 


• 

48 

Eph. 4: 11, 12 

• 


• 

51 

Acts 13: 2 . . . 



46 

Eph. 4: 31, 32 

• 


• 

103 

Acts 13: 51 . . 


• 

71 

Eph. 5: 18 . 

• 


• 

114 

Acts 15: 13-16 . 


• 

41 

Eph. 6: 6, 8 . 

• 


• 

76 

Acts 16: 5 . . . 



194 

Phil. 1:29 . 

• 


• 

71 

Acts 16: 6-10 . 


♦ 

47 

Phil. 4: 19 . 

• 


• 

34 

Acts 17:6. 



23 

Col. 1:28 

• 


• 

15 

Acts 19: 6 . . . 



45 

1 Thes. 1: 5, 6 

• 


• 

54 

Acts 19: 21 . . 


• 

46 

Heb. 2: 16 

• 


• 

127 

Acts 20: 7-11 . . 


• 

54 

Heb. 11: 32-34 

• 


• 

144 

Acts 20: 24-27 . 


• 

60 

Heb. 13: 5, 6 . 

• 


• 

92 

Acts 20: 28-32 . 


• 

62 

1 Pet. 4: 4 . 

• 


• 

90 

Acts 21: 13 . . 


• 

60 

1 Pet. 5: 1-8 . 

• 


• 

15 

Acts 26: 9-11 . . 


• 

79 

1 Pet. 5: 5, 6 . 

• 


• 

167 

Acts 26: 18 . . 


147, 

149 

1 Jno. 1:9 . 

• 


♦ 

155 

Acts 28: 23 . . 


• 

54 

1 Jno. 2: 3 

• 


• 

163 

Acts 28: 25, 26 . 


• 

55 

1 Jno. 3: 10 . 

• 


• 

163 

Rom. 1: 16 . . 


• 

60 

1 Jno. 3: 24 . 



• 

162 

Rom. 11: 33 . . 


• 

69 

1 Jno. 4: 13 . 

• 


• 

162 

1 Cor. 1:26 . . 


• 

55 

1 Jno. 5: 1 

• 



164 

1 Cor. 2: 9, 10 . 


• 

67 

1 Jno. 5: 3 . 

• 


• 

164 

1 Cor. 12: 3 . . 


• 

44 

1 Jno. 5: 9-13 

• 


• 

166 

1 Cor. 12 : 12 . . 


• 

17 

Rev. 3:1. . 

• 


• 

40 

2 Cor. 3: 5 . . 

2 Cor. 6: 14-7: 1 


• 

• 

25 

Rev. 3: 20 . . 

• 


• 

151 




















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